Survive Without Love
by For My Personal Pleasure
Summary: Stevie Rae and her friends were never Marked. Rephaim and his brothers were never Raven Mockers. Living in a small town, they all attend the same high school. What are they to do when they have to rely on each other when the world as they know it comes to an end? Never before speaking or talking and now working together to stay alive. What bonds are formed? What feelings are made?
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING: THIS IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE DRAMA AND LOVEY-DOVEY FANFIC! THIS FANFIC CONSISTS OF ACTION, DRAMA, LIFE/DEATH SITUATIONS, AND LOVEY-DOVEY FLUFF. CONTAINS ZOMBIES.**

**Glad I got that out of the way:) I've been obsessing over zombies for like ever now and I just received a spark of inspiration and created this:) I would love to know what you think of my idea. I'm just testing the waters with this one. Shooting in the dark, peeing in the wind. Whatever. Please read and review! Tell me what you think:)**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the HON series!**

***Cover Pic from Annkan (deviantart,com)**

**Songs:**

_**Rephaim**_**: If Today Was Your Last Day by Nickleback**

_**Stevie Rae**_**: It's Not Over by Daughtry**

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**Chapter 1**

_**Rephaim**_

"Damn it!" he shouted, ducking as the walking corpse swung at his head. He shot back up and sent the handle of the mop towards the center of its chest. It flew back against the wall with a disgusting impact. It slid back down the wall, already making its way back towards him. One of them gripped his jacket, yanking him roughly backwards. He fell down, a couple of them reaching towards him with hungry hands.

"Why won't you just die already?" he yelled angrily. His back was pressed against the cold, plain tiles of the floor as his arms used the long stick to keep them off of him.

They were absolutely repulsive. Their skin was pale and decayed with several deep and concerning claw and bite marks. They had been made by teeth and fingernails. Their hair was matted and falling out. Their clothes torn and sliding off of them. All over them, they were coated and smeared with fresh and dried blood. He had to swallow several times to keep the vomit from coming up. His throat burned in protest.

The creatures moaned and snarled. They were stronger than him, faster. He wasn't going to last much longer if he didn't think of something soon.

He kicked them away from him, his feet planting themselves into their stomachs, chests, faces. Blood spewed over him, dripping onto his clothes and face. The blood was a deeper red, thicker and slimy. It mixed with the sweat on his skin. The corpses groaned, their bodies convulsing wildly on the floor as they struggled to reach him.

Rephaim sat up, shoving himself up and off the cold tiles, forcing his legs into an immediate sprint. The sound of his shoes pounding against the solid floor echoed around him. The hallway was abandoned by everyone, blood splatters painted the lockers and walls and windows. Dead bodies, human and monster, littered the floors. He easily hopped over them, landing into a run. Always running. He needed to find them.

He was searching for Nisroc and the rest of his brothers. He had found Nisroc first and told him to gather up the others and meet him by the gate. When Rephaim had went to the gate, they hadn't been there. Not a single one of them. He knew they weren't dead. They had been through enough to know how to survive through things like this. Instead of standing around and waiting like bait, he had went out to find them It was natural for him to go looking for them. They were always causing and getting into trouble.

With both hands, Rephaim tore open the double doors leading out to the dining area outside. Tables with umbrellas were scattered everywhere, picnic benches under tall and leafy trees sat here and there. There were only two over-flowing trash cans out there.

Out there, many of _them_ walked carelessly in search of new meat to gnaw on. He could distinctively hear their starving moans and muffled snarls. They dragged their feet, let their arms swing uselessly, and bowed their heads. They were dead alright, just not completely.

Slowing down, he began to step over trash that had been blown out of the trash cans. Screams blared throughout the school and campus grounds. In the corner of his eye, he saw two creatures ripping and tearing at a girl, Becca. She sobbed and cried out obnoxiously. Her blood leaked everywhere on them and herself. The sounds of chewing and sucking were so audible he wanted to throw up in the nearest bucket.

More and more of them began to swarm her, taking chunks of her for themselves. He continued to walk slowly, quietly. He didn't want to disturb them and have them refocus on him. It was selfish, yes, but if it meant keeping himself alive then he was willing to do it.

In his line of sight was a bus. An idea clicked in his head. He should take the bus and search for his brothers outside of the school. They obviously weren't there if they weren't at the gate.

Not caring about being heard, Rephaim began to run. His feet splashed in bloody puddles and kicked soda cans. He didn't care. He was almost there and, once he was in, he would be safe. Buses were big and bulky. Though he didn't know how to drive a bus, he figured it would be the same as driving his car.

The grass turned to asphalt under his feet quickly. It was less than nine yards away now. He was almost there. That was when he heard the sound of fast approaching footsteps.

_No! Just a little longer_, he begged his legs. Rephaim could feel himself slowing down considerably, but he still managed to keep on running.

The unmistakable blast of a gun deafened him. It boomed in the air surrounding him. He could feel the vibrations run through the ground and up into his muscles, jolting him in place. That wasn't the only thing that stopped him. The gun had been fired at him. The bullet had pierced him on the right side of his chest.

The pain was unbearable. He fell to the thick, rocky asphalt, twisting his ankle and landing on his left arm as he fell. His whole body was torn up as he rolled head over heels. The blood that seeped from his cuts and bullet wound was warm. It burned him tremendously.

Once he stopped rolling, he laid in a bloody, broken heap on the ground, gasping and wincing. He was still. He couldn't move. He had to act dead, or they would be on him instantly. Especially after the blast of the gun. Rephaim opened his eyes to see two people running towards the same bus as he had been. One of them was a man, tall and muscular with dark features. The other was a curvy female with long, blonde hair.

"Fuck, Darius! That wasn't one of _them_," she accused him.

"It doesn't matter now. He will be dead soon enough. We must get going before they decide to head after us." The man pulled the girl up the stairs of the bus. The sound of the engine starting was deafeningly loud in his ear.

"What about Zoey and the nerd herd?" the girl asked.

"We are meeting them at the corner of St. Paul Avenue and Lafayette Street."

"Why so far away? What if they get their asses killed?"

"Have faith, my beauty."

That was the last Rephaim heard of them. The door squeaked closed as a heavy drowsiness consumed him. His pain was too much. The events of that day were too much. He couldn't shake the feeling that his brothers had left him, just like the couple had. It was an awful, sinking feeling that had his insides cringing.

But it all started to fade away. His eyes drooped closed, his muscles tight from the agony loosened, his breath left him in a sigh. It was a painful sigh, one that made his bones scream and muscles burn.

Slowly, Rephaim let himself drift off, praying to whatever god or goddess that listened to him to let him die. He couldn't stand the pain anymore. He didn't want _them_ to come and find him and eat him alive on the brick of death. He didn't want their disease to contaminate him and transform him into a monster.

He already was a monster.

Though he only yearned for death and a peaceful sleep, Rephaim was battered with memories. Memories from today, on how it all started, and memories from before. Before he became the dangerous transfer student at Henrietta, Oklahoma.

Rephaim slept in a dull haze of agony.

_**Stevie Rae**_

The steel bat in her hands was cold and slick with blood. It was the only thing that reassured her that this wasn't some horrible nightmare. It was real. Everything around her was actually happening. Every sick and twisted scene she'd witnessed actually happened.

One of the zombies started walking towards her as she ran by. Not even giving it a glance, she smashed its head with the bat. The horrible _splat! _sound of the steel contacting its skull replayed itself in her head, tormenting her. Taking a deep breath, Stevie Rae looked behind her and almost sobbed. It had been Venus. Even though the girl had been somewhat of a bitch, she still had her nice moments. She looked so-

_No, Stevie Rae. You can't go there. Do it later, when you're alone with the others. Now is so not the time_.

Gulping down the rising sobs, she pushed herself to go faster. She ran through the maze of litter and puddles of blood. She had gotten separated from Zoey and the group, but she knew where they were all heading. Instead of wasting her time in trying to track them down, Stevie Rae figured that she may as well head to the corner they were meeting. Good thing was, for her at least, she had the backpack with the medical supplies. She had raided the Nurses' Office, grabbing the two first aid kits, extra needles, thread, gauze, and cleaning alcohol. It had been her idea to grab them.

The zombies were getting more active. She had heard screams for help earlier when she had been running through the math wing of the school. She had been more than sure it had been over in this area. As she had ran, she hoped that they would still be feasting on whoever they had captured by the time she had to cut across the eating grounds.

Typically, her hopes were never heard.

They stumbled blindly, trying to find their next snack. They heard the sound of her heavy breathing and pounding feet for sure. Their heads snapped up, their bodies jerking in her direction, snarls ripping out of their throats.

_If they try to touch me or eat me_, she thought in fear and anger, _I'm gonna kill 'em_.

She shook her head, causing her curls to momentarily block her vision as she ran smack into one of them. She flew backwards, landing in blood. It instantly seeped into her jeans, dying them deep red. The zombie groaned, whipping its head in her direction. It, along with a few others, began to stagger her way.

With a shaky gasp of horror, Stevie Rae rolled as one reached for her. Blood coated her clothes now, causing the fabrics to cling to her. She flung herself away from the growing crowd and began to take off toward the parking lot. The parking lot was on the east side of the school, the east side of the gate. She had to get to the gate, run to the corner, and hope like hell that she didn't get bit or killed in the process.

The bat clattered against a tin Dr. Pepper can. In the corner of her eye, she saw more of them head after her. They were drawn by noise, and she was making a lot of it. She bit her lip to keep from cursing loudly. Fumbling, Stevie Rae jumped to her feet. Her heavy panting and clacking of her cowboy boots could be heard a mile away. She didn't care though. Why would she? She was almost there!

_I'm almost there. I'm almost there. Just a little while longer. I'm almost there!_

And it wouldn't have taken her as long as it did to get there if she hadn't saw him.

He was lying in the middle of the parking lot, motionless. He looked horrible. She wasn't sure if he was dead or dying. His body was crumpled in on itself in a concerning pool of red liquid.

She should have left him. She should have kept running. She should have went the other way around the school. She should have killed him right then and there.

Tentatively, Stevie Rae jogged closer to his slumped body, raising the bat. She might have to defend herself if he was one of them. She stood there, listening to the zombie growls inching closer as she tried to make out the slight lifting and falling of his body. Was he breathing? Was he still alive? Was he one of them? Was he going to survive?

As she stood there, her eyes swept over him, checking out his visible wounds. She could make out a swollen ankle, a messed up arm, and a hole in his back. There were also several road rashes the asphalt had left on his bare skin. It looked like something had ripped right through him, exiting out his back and destroying his jacket. Her eyes followed a line a splattered blood and saw a bullet. He had been shot.

In the back of her head, something clicked. As she had first gotten separated from her group of friends and began running to the front gate, she had heard a single and powerful gun shot. The only person she had known who had a gun with them on school property was Darius. Darius was a student teacher at Henrietta High, and currently dating their prissy friend, Aphrodite. Did he shoot him? If so, why? Was he turning into one of them? Was he already one of them?

"Dang," she said under her breath. "That must've been one heck of a fall."

Stevie Rae kneeled down on the asphalt, peering at him. He was so pale. To her sudden surprise and relief, she could feel and hear his faint breathing. It was shallow and quick and obviously filled with pain.

_Maybe I should just put him out of his misery. It won't do him any good if I try to help him. He might end up dyin' anyway_, she thought sadly.

Just as the thought raced through her mind, his eyes opened. They instantly fell on her, analyzing her to see if she was a threat or not. She was captured by his gaze. His deep brown eyes were hard with suspicion and foggy with agony. They broke from hers and widened as they flitted behind her. Automatically, Stevie Rae turned. The corpses were moving closer. They were a few yards away, closing distance between them.

"Kill me. End this," he managed to gasp. It obviously pained him to speak, his panting increased.

She hesitated. Deep in her mind, she agreed with him. She should. To put him out of his misery and to save him. Save him from the flesh-devouring zombies.

"Do it now. I'm begging you."

Stevie Rae moved, using his words to keep her motivated. Instead of lifting the bat and sending it to his skull, she tucked it under her arm as she reached for him. Her hands cupped him under his arms, picking him up. He let out an agonized cry, falling limp in her arms. She watched as his eyes rolled back and his head slumped forward. She didn't know what she was doing as she began to hop to the school, glancing frantically behind her the entire way. He wasn't as heavy as she thought he'd be; he was actually quite light. It was weird. He was pretty built for a guy their age so she couldn't help but make assumptions.

With a frustrated sigh, Stevie Rae pushed her way into the school, being careful that the door didn't hit him as it closed. The school was pure hell. It was dark, some of the lights overhead blinked, casting eerie shadows over everything. Dead bodies littered the walls and floors. Blood was everywhere. Books and pencils and bookbags laid everywhere. Lockers were swung open. Doors left ajar. Some zombies limped their way down the hallways, not paying attention to them. As long as she didn't make noise they would be safe.

Stevie Rae put most of her focus into trying to step around the things and bodies on the floor and carrying and lifting him so he didn't touch anything. She pulled up a mental map of the school. The Nurses' Office was close by, just take a right and walk to the end of the hall. It was the last door on the left.

The whole way there, Stevie Rae kept asking herself the same question over and over.

_What the hell am I doin'?_

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**Please review! I am dying to see what you think of it!**

**-RSR**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! Today, I bring you the lovely chapter 2 of this very lovely fanfic:) I'm actually quite proud of this one:) I mean, I am with my other ones, but this one is pretty dang cool. Plus, I actually am relating this to Tempted and whatnot. Anyway, enjoy:)**

**Special Thanks To:**

**Guest**

**SmilesSaveLives**

**and**

**NataONE**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the HON series!**

**Songs:**

_**Rephaim**_**: Here Without You by 3 Doors Down**

_**Zoey**_**: If Everyone Cared by Nickleback**

_**Stevie Rae**_**: Rehab by Rihanna ft. Justin Timberlake**

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**Chapter 2**

_**Rephaim**_

The memories were a jumbled mess. They were hard to decipher and even harder to define which took place at which time. They were only fuzzy blurs of picture, noise, and touch.

His father brought his fist down again and again, causing throbbing black bruises to form. An innocent girl cried out in pain underneath him. The sick cracking noise of the young man's neck snapping in his hands. His father hurling hurtful and offensive words at him. More and more flashed. His mother sobbed, bloody and hopeless, as his father pried him from her arms. His own fist made contact with the boy's cheek continuously until he was no longer a threat.

Groaning, Rephaim turned his head away from them. These same memories always haunted him, always nagged at him. They told him repeatedly that he was a monster, that he should feel ashamed of himself. He did, more than anything, but he was raised that way. He was raised the way his father approved of. He and his brothers did whatever they could possibly do to please him.

Walking dead bodies of students and teachers trudged after him. Their mouths dripping blood and opened in yearning hunger. He couldn't get the disgusting rhythm of the smashing of their heads and the splattering of blood on the dry walls out of his head. The bright and gruesome images grew more vivid. He saw Becca struggling for her life and ending pathetically as they sunk their teeth into her flesh again and again and again. He heard the sound of the principal anouncing their situation over the intercom and the sounds of panicked screams. Students and teachers shoved passed one another to get outside first. To get to safety first.

He grimaced in his sleep, not wanting to see the next one. He knew what was coming.

Him, a few students, and a teacher were hustling out of the library. They hadn't been together at all. In fact, Rephaim hadn't known who they were at all. Not even the teacher. He only remembered her long, wheat-colored hair and how firmly she gripped a deadly knife as they ran. To their unfortunate luck, they got stuck in the hallway flooded with students and teachers. Everyone was turning around and screaming, shoving one another as they tried to push past the everyone else. Rephaim had seen glimpses of zombies up ahead of them.

Knowing that it was better to push past the monsters and keep going, he faught against the wave of terrified people. To his left, he noticed that the same teacher was doing the same, along with other kids. If only he had thought it through. The number of zombies was unbelievable. He hadn't seen that many where he had been standing. Apparently, neither did the others. He had known they were going to make it.

Instead of turning around like the rest of them, Rephaim had acted on instinct. He grabbed the teacher by her long hair, yanking her to him, squeezed her wrist until she dropped the knife, and slit her throat. With a groan so full of regret and self-loathing, he shoved her towards the monsters. They reacted instantly; their hands reaching for her to devour her whole.

Everyone around him stared at him with such shock and disbelief. It hadn't mattered to him. He ran through the zombies, not allowing himself to look back at yet another innocent life he had just took and handed off.

"No!" Rephaim screamed.

The memories were too much for him. He couldn't take it. They were too overwhelming and frightening.

With a desperate, choked gasp, Rephaim opened his eyes. The pain hit him like a giant boulder, whisking away any remains of air in his lungs. He couldn't move at all, his muscles locked with fear and pain. He could feel the after-effects of his adrenaline rush and instantly moaned.

"Finish it," he murmured weakly to the girl standing beside him. Her blue eyes were wide with concern.

_**Zoey**_

"Come on!" I yelled, holding one of the gate doors open. With one hand, I forced it to stay open and, with the other, I ushered them through it. The whole time I counted heads.

I came up with a total of seven kids, including myself.

I secretly wished that I hadn't let Stevie Rae run off to the Nurses' Office to get supplies, even if she did make a valid point that we needed them. Now, we were one less person short. She had gotten separated from us. Zombies had swarmed us as we stood as guard on the outside. There were only so many we could handle. They had been trying to get inside to her. She had dropped a glass jar, the contents scattering everywhere. It was only a miracle that none of us were killed in the process of watching her back.

She had locked the door the moment she heard me yelling to her to hurry.

"Go on, Z! I'll meet ya at the corner! I know where it is! I don't want y'all riskin' your lives for me! Get on outta here!" she had yelled. I could hear her zipping up her school bag that no longer carried the usual textbooks and notebooks.

I had momentarily hesitated when I heard the sound of more glass breaking. It was louder this time. She was climbing out the window.

"Okay, Stevie Rae! Be careful!" I had yelled back to her, piercing a zombie through its forehead, its blood raining over me and the group behind it.

Stark had pushed us past him as he distracted them, taking the risk of getting caught for us. He beat them senseless with a broken leg of a wooden chair.

Now, we were running to the corner to meet up with Aphrodite and Darius. They had called me, asking me where to meet up with them. I had been recruiting our gang and other friends. The phone call had been unexpected and appreciated.

"Uh," I fumbled, trying not to lose focus on staying alive. "Grab one of the buses. Meet us somewhere." I grunted as I smacked the hell out of a former classmate. There was no question that - once we were over this craziness - we would all need counseling after this. Who could be sane after smashing the heads of old friends and warm teachers?

"How does the corner between St. Paul and Lafayette sound?" I remembered hearing Darius grunt, followed by a rough, wet impact noise. It made my stomach churn.

"Great. Aphrodite's with you, right?"

"Of course, Zoey. I found her immediately."

"Zoey! I said let's go!" Stark yelled at me, jerking my arm. His voice was urgent and immediately returned me to the present where Hell had just frozen over the whole world. "Everyone's out! C'mon!"

I barely loosened my firm grip on the iron gate when Stark ripped me away, dragging me behind him. I fought to match my pace with his quick one. My feet tripped over themselves as I stumbled. What could I say? Stark was on the track team and the archery team, that's bound to make him one of the fastest out of our group, leaving me slow and uncoordinated.

I noticed that the kids of our group had waited by a stop sign, fighting off two of the walking dead. As soon as they saw us, they quickly slipped under the gaps of their decaying arms and ran to us. Together, we all ran, trying not to draw too much attention to ourselves.

_Please let Stevie Rae already be there_, I pleaded. I hoped my little prayer would reach God's ears and his heart. _Please, please, please_...

It sounded childish and pathetic to be praying like this, but it was all I could do. I couldn't kill every living (nonliving) threat out there. I couldn't save all of us. I couldn't run as fast as the others. I couldn't protect everyone I loved. Hell, I probably couldn't even pass the Geometry test that had been scheduled for tomorrow.

_What can I do?_

**_Stevie Rae_**

Her hands hovered over his body, unsure of which wound to attend to first. As if there was someone to look to for help, her eyes lifted and scanned the room. It hadn't changed much since she had been there to grab the medical supplies. There was only a dead body over in the left corner of the room. Other than that, it was the same. Same broken containers and red-stained bandages that were hung everywhere like garlin on a Christmas tree.

When she had broken the little window that all classroom doors had and unlocked the door, she carried/dragged his body to the single cot in the room that branched off of that one. Carefully, she managed to lay him on the uncomfortable mattress and position him so his head was propped up correctly. She had sighed, pulling a rolling table over to the side of the bed and threw her bag on top of it. She pulled out all of the things she thought she would have to use - which was everything - and laid them out. Then she just stood there, staring at him.

That was when she heard the dreadful moaning that was becoming very familiar to her.

Bat in her hands, Stevie Rae whirled around just in time to block one of its hands from grabbing her hair. It snarled dangerously, leaning into her for a bite. She gulped down a scared squeal and kicked its legs out from under it. It landed with a thud on the tiles. Its hands had grasped her ankles, baring its teeth, and jerked her to it. She fell down on her butt next to it, thrashing wildly. She took the butt of the bat and began to bash its face in.

Once it had finally stilled and no longer wanted to take a bite out of her, Stevie Rae moved away from it. It was awful. She was awful. She hadn't even thought about another solution before killing it brutally. She had reacted on new and developed instincts.

Not thinking much more about it, Stevie Rae had numbly dragged the dead body over to the corner of the room. She pushed the computer spinny chair underneath the door handle like they did in movies and pulled the curtains closed by the window she had broken out of.

Tentatively, Stevie Rae unscrewed the bottle of the cleaning alcohol and found an unopened bag of cotton balls. She pressed one to the top of the bottle and tipped it upside down to get it wet. She was going to start with the easiest thing first: the scrapes.

One of her hands held his face as the other gently dabbed his jaw. He was absolutely covered in scrapes and cuts. She sighed inwardly, shaking her head in distress.

As she cleaned, she couldn't help but ask herself why she had saved him. She heard about him in school. She heard _a lot _about him in school actually. From the gossipy, slutty girls, she'd heard that he was player, sleeping with any girl that he could get his hands on, including Denio and a few of her close friends. From the jealous, testosterone-filled guys, she'd heard that he was in a lot of fights with some of the football players, and that he won every fight.

If those were true, why was she saving him then? Why was she risking her life to save his?

Her focus shifted to a brief scene she had seen with her own eyes. It had happened when their world had gone straight to Hell. Stevie Rae had witnessed him purposely kill one of her teachers to save himself. It had been the first death she had ever seen.

Wincing, Stevie Rae wiped the memory away and looked down at him. The whole time she had let her mind go wherever it pleased, she had cleaned all of his cuts and scrapes. Now all she had left was the bullet wound, his left arm, and his ankle. She knew how to bandage an ankle; she had sprained her own in a soccer game.

He was turning his head side to side in anguish. His dark hair was plastered to his face and neck with sweat. His eyebrows were drawn together in denial.

"He must be dreamin'," she whispered softly. Her hand came up and brushed some strands of hair from his face. "Pro'ly a nightmare. I wouldn't be surprised."

Just then his breathing changed into shallow pants. His fingers curled at his sides. She wanted to wake him up, but he needed his rest. She didn't want to see him suffering.

"No!" he screamed in terror.

Her muscles froze. Her head began to shake back and forth in alarm. He couldn't be loud, if he was it would draw the zombies to them.

Her hands fluttered in uncertainty. _Should I wake him up? What should I do? If he's loud again, there's no doubt they'll be on us like a homeless puppy on dinner scraps!_

His eyes flew open and he gasped in panic. His eyes landed on hers, locking gazes. A stifled moan of torment rumbled through him. She stood still, unable to process what to do next. What was he going to say to her? Worse, what was she going to say? What was he going to do when he finds out that she was fixing him?

"Finish it," he barely managed to murmur.

At first, Stevie Rae fumbled around in her head for words. She didn't want him to die! No, _want_ sounded like a word that meant she felt something towards him and she definitely _didn't_. Heck, she just officially met the guy! It wasn't like they were BFFs or lunch buddies, or anything like that. She's only seen him in the halls and while she was at her locker. No, she couldn't kill him. That was the phrase she was looking for. The only things she's ever killed were the zombies, and that was only when they were an absolute threat to her.

"Look, I know you're hurt and all, so you're not thinkin' right, but if I was gonna kill you, I definitely wouldn't have dragged you in here, or risked my dang life to save you," she told him somewhat sternly. As if to protect herself from his analyzing stare, she crossed her arms over her chest. Man, she felt so awkward!

"Why won't you kill me?" he whispered in agony.

Yanking her gaze from his, Stevie Rae tossed a dirty, bloody cotton ball into the tiny trash can beside his bed. Considering what she was going to say next, she began to prepare a needle and thread to sew up his bullet wound. "I'm not real sure why I won't kill you, 'cept for the fact that I tend to do things my own way, and I can definitely say I'm not a big fan of killing." She paused, meeting his eyes briefly. "Yes, that even includes zombies."

He watched her in silence as she fought with the thread and the impossibly small hole at the head of the needle. Holding his breath, he shifted his body weight. With a choked grunt, he said,"You should."

The thread went in the hole just as he uttered the words. She smiled with triumph and raised her eyebrows. "I should know, I should kill ya, or should I do things my own way? You're gonna hafta be more specific. Oh, and ya should also consider bein' less bossy. You're not exactly in a position to tell me what I _should_ do."

Looking somewhat frustrated, he stayed silent, glancing away in irritation. Her eyes remained on him. He obviously was in a lot of pain. She didn't know what the heck she was doing, but she knew deep in her bones that he was gonna die if she didn't do anything about his bullet wound. He was still bleeding; blood slowly spread out on the white sheets.

"Okay, here's the deal. I brought ya in here to bandage you up, but I'm not really cool with touching you and stuff unless you give me your absolute word you won't try anything I'm not gonna like."

His head turned up in her direction, his eyes bright with surprise and sarcastic amusement.

"I can't move." He tried to lift her arm in demonstration, but instantly stopped. His face paled three shades its natural color. He let out a pained groan.

"Does that mean you promise you won't bite me or do anything else that's not very nice?"

* * *

**Yes, I know. What a horrible stopping point, but I'm sorry! I must stop here! For many reasons: 1. I'm starving and wasting away to nothing. 2. I'm sweaty and I hafta get up to turn the AC on. And 3. I just wanted to stop here:) Hope you liked this chapter. Tell me what you think about it! Tell me what you loved and/or hated about it. Please read and review! :)**

**-RSR**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! How are you? Me? Fabulous! Wanna know why? No? Too bad:) There's only four days of school left! Yay! Plus, I just finished Chapter 3! Kudos to me:)**

**Special Thanks To:**

**SmilesSaveLives**

**and**

**everyone else who has read my lovely FanFic:)**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the HON series!**

**Songs:**

_**Stevie Rae**_**: California King Bed by Rihanna**

_**Rephaim**_**: Catch My Breath by Kelly Clarkson**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_**Stevie Rae**_

Patiently, she waited for him to answer her. If he agreed with her, she would attend his wounds like she had planned on doing since she found him. If he did otherwise, well, she would just pack up her things, wish him luck, and be on her way like she had originally planned. No matter which choice he chose, she would be satisfied either way.

He tried to sit up as if to help her get a better view of the hole in his back, but quickly stopped. His eyes squeezed shut painfully. Unfazed, Stevie Rae stood there, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. If he didn't answer her soon, she was going to leave him. She didn't have time for this. Especially with Z and the gang waiting on her at the corner.

Completely surprising her, he opened his eyes to narrow slits and said,"Yesssss."

Stevie Rae blinked. To be completely honest, she hadn't expected him to answer her. Nor did she expect him to answer in a hostile hiss. The word ran up her spine like a barbed stick, sending doubtful chills through her body. Trying to be helpful and positive about their situation, she gave him a semi-reassuring smile. "Well. Good. Okay, let's see what I can do to make ya feel better."

Since she had already cleaned and purified his scrapes and tiny cuts, she didn't have much left to attend to. She laid the needle and thread on the table, and scooted closer so she could slip her arms under him. She helped him up into a sitting position which looked incredibly painful for him, but he didn't resist. In fact, he even straightened his back for her. Her eyes went to the blood-stained sheets. She had force down nervous vomit.

"Okay, look," she said anxiously. "I'm gonna hafta take off your jacket and shirt in order to properly clean that hole. If you're not comfortable with that, I'll just wrap ya up and see how it goes."

His brown eyes lightened and she thought she saw the corners of his mouth turn up. "By all means. If it helps, do whatever you must."

She felt absolutely stupid when her cheeks heated at his words. She felt even more stupid when her eyes widened as she helped him take his clothes off. She wasn't used to this kind of thing. Yes, she's had boyfriends and kissed them and whatnot, but she wasn't one of those girls who slept with everyone and was an expert about the male body. She'd never done _it_ or even close to _it_. Whereas, he, on the other hand, apparently has. According to more than half of the female population in their school that is.

Once his jacket and shirt were off, she hesitated. She had to fight with her eyes not to completely scan his whole body. From the corner of her eyes, she could tell that he was more muscular than any other guy she's seen.

She also saw him watching her.

"Alrighty then. I'm gonna clean it out with some cleaning alcohol and stitch it up and maybe bind it. Let's just hope that it works," she muttered to herself.

She set the bag of cotton balls on the bed next to him, dragging the trash can over along with the table. Once the cotton ball was dripping with the foul smelling liquid, Stevie Rae carefully began to lightly smudge the hole. It took her seven of them on only the front side of him. The whole time she cleaned she could feel his coarse breathing in her hair. His head was tilted back as if trying to lean as far away from the pain as possible.

"Sorry, I know this hurts," Stevie Rae said quietly. She moved around to his bare back and started again. He grunted softly, causing her to role her eyes. What was it with guys grunting all the time anyway? Was speaking too hard for them? "Okay, I'm gonna start sewin' it up now. I'll tell ya what: it definitely looks better now that it isn't bleeding as much."

To calm herself, she kept on talking. It was some sorta stress-relieving technique she found herself doing a lot. Even though it might annoy some, it always worked.

Holding her breath, Stevie Rae gently poked his skin with the tip of the needle and pulled it out, making the thread disappear and reappear. Eventually, she began to get the hang of it. You don't go too deep or too shallow; you had to find the right spot and work from there. She snipped the end of the thread with a pair of tiny scissors she had found and tied it. While she threaded the needle again, she moved her way back around to his other side.

It didn't take long before she was cutting the string and tying it like she did on his front. Wiping her hands on a towel, she came back to stand in front of him. "I'm just gonna wrap this bandage stuff 'round you reall quick and pin it to ya. After that, you can lay back down. I'm sorry this is taking so long. I just want to make sure that I'm doin' all this right," she told him, brushing a curl from her face.

He nodded stiffly. His eyes were closed.

She pulled the end of the long length of bandage and was grateful that the underneath half of it was sticky. She placed a piece of gauze over the crooked stitches before sticking the bandage over top of it. She didn't want to have to redo the sewing if it was pulled out. Sighing, Stevie Rae slowly walked around him in circles, wrapping the bandage around his upper torso. Every now and then, she would have to remind him to raise him arms. He was so exhausted; it was a miracle that he was still conscious.

"There," Stevie Rae murmured. "I'm done with that. You can lay down now." She cut the end of the sticky bandage and plastered it on top of the thick layers.

Her eyes met his and it was then she realized how close she was to him. He didn't move away from her; he continued to meet her gaze unwaveringly. His eyes seemed to look right through her as if she were made out of glass. They were so pain-filled and questioning. It was that curiosity in his eyes that made her step back. She cleared her throat, dropping her eyes, and looked at his ankle. It wasn't broken, possibly sprained. It was definitely bruised and swollen, but not as deep purple as it would be if it were broken.

"Would you like me to put my shirt back on?"

His question jolted through her, causing her to jump. "Uh, no. I'm gonna clean it and wash it out for ya in that tiny sink over there." She pointed a finger behind her to the small bathroom all nurses' offices had. "Besides, I doubt you want to put it back on. It's all dirty and bloody. Maybe there're some blankets in here. I could find ya one if you're cold."

She watched him hesitate, considering her offer. He shook his head. "No, I will be fine."

"Suit yourself." Stevie Rae helped him lay back down, adjusting the pillow under his head. Then she grabbed a towel and rolled it up, propping his foot. "I'm wrappin' your ankle now. I'm not sure if it's broken or not. Either way, bindin' it will help."

Just as she was about to wrap it, his hand stopped her. Shocked, her eyes flew to his face. He blinked a few times as if uncertain of what he had just done.

"Shouldn't you wrap it around something?" he asked, unsure.

"Whaddya mean?"

"Tie it around something to keep it from healing wrong. Possibly a stick or something?"

"Huh," she muttered. Maybe he was right. He sounded right anyway. She didn't want to be the one to permanently screw up his ankle. She couldn't deal with that kind of guilt. Her eyes scanned around the tiny office, searching for something study and straight. She could break the leg of a bookshelf and use that, but that could make too much noise. Her eyes landed on one of the only glass jars that wasn't broken. It held those tongue-presser-thingies. Could she use those?

_It's the only thing that'll help him_, Stevie Rae thought as she walked over to it. She opened the lid and took a handful. _I guess I'll just use whatever I've got for right now_.

**_Rephaim_**

The blonde girl was strange. She talked an awful lot as she worked. At first, it was annoying, but, as he listened to her, he'd decided that it helped him through his pain. He focused on her words, not the pain she was causing as she mended him. He instantly felt relief when she had finished sewing up the bullet injury. The bandages helped also. They blocked the air from getting inside him and messing with his exposed organs. Rephaim bet she could see right through him if she tried.

She was certainly different though. Her facial expressions baffled him. He thought it was amusing to see her blush as she helped him with his clothes. No doubt that she feeling awkward about being so close to him. Rephaim couldn't blame her though. Who would want to be close to him after everything he has done?

_No one_, his mind answered him automatically. The instant reply stung, but he knew it was true. Sometimes he found it unbearable to be around himself. The things he had done were just unbelievable.

Rephaim watched her as she ambled back towards him with a handful of small, flat, rounded sticks. They appeared sturdy enough. To himself, he nodded in approval of her choice. There was no doubt that those would help his ankle. He continued to examine the girl as she struggled to keep the sticks in place and bind his ankle. The pain of her fingers holding them there was not as bad as when she had cleansed the hole in his chest. Still, it was enough to cause him to wince and suck in air every now and then.

Not giving her a warning, he sat up and held them in place for her. She immediately drew her hands back and glanced up at him in alarm. Her face was closer than he had expected. Her blue eyes captured him, freezing him in place. Rephaim was fixated on her completely.

"Let me help you," he managed to whisper through his pain and shock.

"Well, shit. Okay," she said just as quietly. Tearing her eyes away from him, she moved her hands away to constrain his ankle, over the round sticks. As she laid the sticky wrapping over the sticks, he removed his fingers. Rephaim remained sitting up just in case she would need anymore help. Once it was completely stiff and unmovable, she pulled back, appraising her work. It was a little messy, some parts were bunched up and others stretched too tight, but it was acceptable.

The girl smiled in pride. With a delighted giggle, she slapped his ankle in joy. "I'm way better at this than-"

Rephaim gasped, his vision going blurry. The sudden pain left him breathless and dizzy. Why had she slapped him? He had done nothing wrong! His eyes squeezed shut, his hands holding the sides of his head. A scream bubbled up in his throat. A headache began to build in his temples at the overwhelming amount of agony. It felt like his brain was swelling and pushing against the insides of his skull. He felt as though he were going to be sick.

"Shit! I'm sorry! Crap!" Her hands helped him lay back down. "Oh my good_ness_! I didn't mean it, I swear!"

Her voice had jumped multiple volumes, echoing around them. She couldn't be loud. She would draw _their_ attention to their location. Rephaim needed to find a way to silence her before they were discovered. What would happen if they were found? No doubt the undead would try and break into the office to get to them. What could he do? He was injured and wasn't yet fully attended to. His arm was still damaged. She was beginning to squeak as she tried to convince him that she was sorry.

His hand flew to her mouth, cutting her off completely. Her lips were warm and soft under his hand. Her eyes widened slightly. He pulled her closer to him, meeting her eyes with an absolute stern seriousness.

"You need to be quiet," Rephaim murmured to her. "You are being to loud. Keep it up and they will find us."

She nodded, a swift, jerky motion. Her curls bounced and jumped like golden springs of hair. Slowly, listening to hear any famished moans and growls, he let his hand drop from her face. A pink brushed against her cheeks.

"I really am sorry," she whispered.

"I know."

She sighed. "Well, I guess I'll check out your arm. You have a few scrapes on it, I'll cover those with Band-Aids in a sec. It doesn't look broken, or as bruised as your ankle. I should just wrap it just in case."

"As you wish," he murmured. He closed his eyes in exhaustion. He wished he could just fall asleep. He wished she would just hurry up and leave him be.

Rephaim thought he heard her make a tsk-ing sound, but, when he opened one of his eyes, she was just sticking Band-Aids over all of his scrapes. Sighing, Rephaim tried to relax against the uncomfortable mattress. It was too thin. The pillow wasn't any better. The covering was stiff and paper-like. In the back of his mind, a little voice told him that he shouldn't be complaining, but he ignored it. His brothers had left him. They had left him with this talkative blonde girl.

"I'm done," she announced in a hushed voice. "I'm gonna go wash your shirt and jacket. If you want, I'll wash your jeans. I'm gonna wash my clothes, too."

He opened his eyes. She had his bloody jacket and shirt in her arms. Her eyes looked so tired and hopeless. He thought about what she had just said and began to wiggle out of his pants. It was painful to move.

"Here, let me help you," she mimicked him from before. A shy smile was on her face. Her hands gripped the top of them as he unbuttoned and unzipped them. Then she easily moved them down and over his ankle. Again, he noticed how she couldn't look him in the eyes.

Once more, Rephaim rested on the cot. His eyes slowly began to close to the sound of rushing water and hands scrubbing. His body certainly felt better than before. They were covered and cleaned. The girl even found some kind of cream in the Nurse's desk drawer and smudged his scrapes and small cuts with it. It gave him some sort of relief from the pain.

His eyes traveled to the girl. Her back was to him. She was using the little hand soap at the sink to get most of the blood and dirty from his clothes. Something in his chest stirred and swelled. Appreciation. He appreciated everything she was doing for him. She had saved him by risking her own life. She had went out of her way to clean his wounds correctly and bandage them with gentle care. She was even taking the time to wash his clothes so he wouldn't have to wear them drenched in sweat and blood.

Where did she come from? Did she know him somehow? Rephaim thought back. No, he's certainly never met her before. Has she been watching him? Surely not, but, then again, most of the girls watched him in school. With fear and seductive curiosity. She was different, she wasn't like the ones who talked about people behind their backs or started trouble. She was different, he just didn't know how.

She straightened her spine and stretched her arms above her head. He could hear her yawn from across the room. Then she tossed a glance over her shoulder and caught him watching her. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't. Her blue eyes held him.

"I'll hang your clothes out on the table so they can dry some," she said. She walked over to the small table beside his bed - that was now clear of the medical supplies - and laid them out separately so they didn't touch. She then found some blankets and pillows in a cabinet by the door. She gave one pillow and two blanket to him and kept the rest to herself.

"I'll be sleepin' in that chair." Her finger pointed to a wooden chair with barely any cushion. She placed the pillows neatly in the corners of the chair and threw the blankets on it. Turning her back from him, she made her way back to the bathroom.

Before she closed the door to clean her clothes, he spoke up,"My name is Rephaim."

She smiled at him over her shoulder. "Hi. I'm Stevie Rae. Nice to meet ya, Rephaim." With that, she closed the door with a silent click.

* * *

**Tell me what you think:) Took me a little while to start this chapter. Had to finish up with homework. I'm one of those wait-till-the-day-before-to-work-on-everything kinda person. I know, I know. It's a bad habit. I'm sorry. Anyway, please read and review! Hope you liked this chapter!**

**-RSR**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! I actually finished this chapter yesterday, but by the time I did, I was so exhausted that I decided to wait until today! So after I did finished, I completely crashed. Sorry:) Anyway, here's chapter 4. Little heads up, nothing too exciting about this chapter!**

**Special Thanks To:**

**SmilesSaveLives**

**NataONE**

**and**

**Juliana Rose - Thank you so much! I'm glad you think so! How sweet of you:)**

**Songs:**

_**Zoey**_**: Let Me Sign by Robert Pattinson**

_**Stevie Rae**_**: Just a Dream by Carrie Underwood**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_**Zoey**_

I was freaking out majorly. Our pounding footsteps were loud and bounced off the tall buildings and empty air around us. No doubt, probably every zombie in a 50 mile radius could hear us for sure. Also, let's not mention how I was panting like a sweaty dog.

"It's okay, Z," Stark reassured me every time I would even consider stopping. He would pick me up and drag me with him as we all sprinted. "It'll be okay. The bus is just up ahead. You can do it."

I never realized how far away a couple blocks and a few turns were. It seemed to stretch on for miles and miles, never stopping or ending. We flew past many of the undead that were either preying on the screaming and terrified living or shuffling aimlessly in the direction of noise.

Up ahead I could make out the pointed, squared front of the school bus that held our get-away. It hid behind an abandoned drug store. I felt relief and hope rise inside me as I came to the conclusion of temporary safety and that my BFF would be waiting on there for me. I pushed myself forward, wanting to convince my doubtful gut wrong that she actually _was_ there - that she _was_ safe. I tore my hand from Stark's, getting in front of our whole group.

I didn't even care that the zombies were starting our way.

Panting, I banged on the bus door. "Darius, open up! Open the door! We're all here!"

Without a moment of hesitation, it swung open, revealing a serene Aphrodite and Darius. They smiled in absolute relief and comfort that we were safe. Aphrodite opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. I nearly flew up the steps and scanned the entire rows of seats.

I didn't see a single sign of a curly, blonde head.

"Where is she?" I demanded from them. "Where the hell is she? She's safe! I know she is! She should be here already! She said she would be!"

"Zoey, you need to calm the fuck down. Bumpkin probably got caught up with something. No doubt she's on her way. Seriously, just relax." Aphrodite held up her hands in mock surrender. Her cool blue eyes were trying hard to mask her concern for my sanity.

I shook my head like a crazy woman. "No, no! She didn't get _caught up_," I mimicked her. "If she gets caught up, she's _dead_! And Stevie Rae is _not_ dead! She can't be!"

"Zoey?" Stark flew up the steps. "Are you okay? We heard you screaming and-"

"And what, Stark? Losing every little piece of my mind that I have left?" I snapped. Inside, I could feel something loosen and flood out of my mouth. "Well, you know what? That's exactly what I'm doing. I can't do this. I've killed kids I've known since the second grade! I've killed teachers that stood in as my parents for me when I had no one to turn to for help! I've killed people who were part of _my life_, Stark. I just can't do this. And now, I have no idea where Stevie Rae is or what the hell is happening to her."

The tears streamed freely down my cheeks. Our friends began to slowly pile into the seats of the bus, slipping past me carefully. They didn't touch me. They looked at me with worry and pity that distorted their features.

And I hated it.

"Zoey-" Stark began.

"No," I interrupted him. "Just...don't. I need to be alone for a while."

**_Stevie Rae_**

The sight of the blood and grime swirling down the drain in the sink made her depressed. That blood could belong to anyone and everyone. It could have belonged to kids she's known her entire life. It could have belonged to a new kid that just transferred to their small town by accident. Who knows who it could've belonged to?

She used big handfuls of hand soap from the little pump and, after getting the clothes damp, she scrubbed until her fingers were numb. She did the same as she rinsed. As she rubbed the suds and dirt from Rephaim's shirt she had noticed two holes on both sides of the material made from the bullet that had shot through him. Stevie Rae made a mental note to sew them later.

After she was done with his clothes and laid them out to dry, Stevie Rae removed her own clothes. Before turning the water on, she clogged the drain with her sock. She dipped her shirt in, almost weeping as she saw the water instantly take on a pink tint. It was absolutely horrible. One by one, she washed and massaged the blood and soap in and out of her clothes. Every few minutes, she had to drain the water and refill it again. With cold fingers, Stevie Rae twisted and squeezed and wrung the water out of them. It formed wrinkles, but it helped them dry faster.

Folding them, she neatly set them on the toilet seat and braced herself as she took a glimpse at her reflection. The tears came and dripped from her eyelashes immediately. Dried and crusted blood covered every inch of her once pale skin. Her hair was matted and dyed a rusty red. Her lips were cracked and bleeding. She looked like a ghost, pale, bloody, and lost.

Brushing tears away, Stevie Rae took a good few paper towels and wadded them up, running them under the hot water. Then she began to gently stroke her skin, wetting the dry guck from her skin. She started with arms and worked to her stomach, neck, face, and legs. The amount of blood from her clothes had seeped through and tainted her flesh underneath. Tossing the towels into the trash can, wetting her hands, Stevie Rae began to lather her whole body with the hand soap and cried.

She felt so pathetic. Here she was, dirty and hopeless, cleaning herself with only hand soap, rough paper towels, and sink water. It was disgusting. She'd never imagined doing this in here life, but, there she was. She'd never imagined that she would have killed so many people that she knew or saved a boy who had _trouble_ written all over him. The worst thing was, this all took place in the matter of hours. Just that morning, she had been talking and eating merrily with her family, joking around with her brothers, helping her mama cook pancakes.

_What the hell happened? _she asked, reaching out to anyone with her mind.

Images of screams and blood splattering the walls consumed her. She remembered that she was on her way to the bathroom with her pass in her hand. Her eyes had focused on two figures outside in the parking lot. One of them was someone she had never before seen in her life. He was bent over their Chemistry teacher, doing...something. She couldn't make it out from the second story window. What she did see ultimately scarred her. She saw him pull his head back, bare his teeth, and latch onto her neck. Blood seemed to squirt out, signaling that the man had hit the main artery.

Startled, Stevie Rae had gawked at the scene in disbelief. Next thing she knew, Zoey had found her, hollering about how they had to find everyone else and leave campus, no matter what the teachers said. Naturally, Stevie Rae agreed completely. They had taken off, shoving past flitty, panicky students. Eventually, they had formed their pack, emptying out their backpacks into the trashcans. Who needed school supplies when everyone was turning and eating people?

It had been about that time when Stevie Rae had suggested getting medical supplies, leading to her separation and saving Rephaim.

Blowing her nose, she began rinsing herself off until she was dripping wet with only her blood-soaked hair left to wash. Hesitantly, Stevie Rae stuck her head underneath the now freezing water. The hot water must have ran out when she was bawling like a baby. Her fingers gingerly kneaded through her curls, scratching off the blood like paint. She washed her hair, taking her time. Though it was cold, she enjoyed how it blocked out her inner thoughts.

It took all her strength to pull back and dry off. It was difficult to dry out her hair with the little hand towels she found in the cabinet, but she managed. This time when she looked at herself, she felt a little better. Her skin was clean, but instead of its usual healthy pale, it was a sick pale that made you wonder whether or not they were alive. Her eyes weren't as bright and kind as they normally were; they were broken and hopeless. Her lips were still chapped, but were now blue from the cold water.

Her body felt stiff as she turned off the water and stepped out of the bathroom with her clothes in her arms. She knew he would be sleeping so she hadn't bothered to put her jeans and shirt back on. She wanted those to be fully dry before she put them back on.

She walked over to the chair and grabbed a blanket, holding it to her. Then she tiptoed over to Rephaim to check on him. He was breathing steadily and calmly - not panicked or suffering. That was good. She didn't see any blood on the bandages or Band-Aids. That was good, too. Everything appeared okay, but there was no question about it that he was probably still hurting. Who wouldn't be after what he went through?

Stevie Rae continued to stand beside the bed he laid in, gazing down at him. She wasn't even aware of the questions that were bubbling up in the subconscious of her mind.

What would happen when Zoey and the rest of their friends saw that she wasn't there? What if they found her helping one of the most dangerous students of their school? What would they do? What would happen once he was finally healed? What if they were-

She stopped herself. None of these questions were helping her or their situation. No, right now she had to worry about protecting herself, staying alive, and getting back to Z and everyone else. She didn't need to stress herself out more over some guy she just met and saved and the possibilities that tagged along with that.

Rubbing her face, Stevie Rae sighed, blowing out a long breath as if to erase the jumbled thoughts in her head. With one last scan over Rephaim, she shuffled her way back to the chair, plopping down. It took her a minute or two to get situated and comfortable. Then she paused. What time was it? She craned her neck to check the window, and remember she had pulled the curtains closed. Well, she could see some shadows and rays of sunshine still. She went to reach for her iPhone in her pocket and stopped. She wasn't wearing her jeans. Her eyes went to her stack of clothes on the floor. She grabbed them, searching her pockets until she found it.

Tapping the screen, an idea floated into her mind. Why hadn't she thought about calling or texting Zoey? How stupid was she? Quickly, Stevie Rae pulled up her contacts, typed in Z, and began typing a somewhat believable text message. Just as she was about to send it, though, something caught her eye in the top right of the screen. No. Bars.

"Shit," she heard herself whisper. "Forget that plan then."

Still, Stevie Rae checked the time. It was 5:49 PM. A wave of unnerving shock settled over her. Its only been six hours since the mass outbreak of this disease thing. Hell, she didn't even know what it was! All she knew was that once you were bit or scratched, you became one of _them_ - a zombie. Then you would start eating people and your skin would start decaying as though you were really _dead_. There was no real rational explanation to it all yet. What she knew was stuff she gathered from movies and experience. Not very reliable.

* * *

**I know. I told you nothing too exciting. I felt so bad when Stevie Rae had wash herself with hand soap. That seriously tugged at some heartstrings right there. So! Tell me you think:) Even if the chapter was somewhat none eventful you can still review:) I would love it if you did! Please read and review!**

**-RSR**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ugh! Stupid computer! I had this all done and I was about to save the document when it refreshed! Argh! Gosh! ****_Anyways!_**** Here's chapter 5. -_-**

**Special Thanks To:**

**SmilesSaveLives**

**Juliana Rose - You're welcome! You deserved to be put up here anyway:) I do this for all my reviewers! Don't worry about silly Z. She's on the bus.**

**and**

**NataONE**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the HON series!**

**Songs:**

_**Zoey**_**: Enchanted by Taylor Swift**

_**Rephaim**_**: Make You Feel My Love by Adele**

_**Stevie Rae**_**: He Won't Go by Adele**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_**Zoey**_

I took the last seat in the darkest corner of the bus. I knew what I said hurt Stark, but at the moment I didn't care. My whole body was numb and my emotions were fried. I couldn't even display a reaction as Darius started up the bus and threw it forward, crushing the zombies instantly. Blood splattered the windows like raindrops. I could feel each thump and squish as the tires rolled over them.

I didn't care.

What happened to Stevie Rae? Where could she be? What was happening to her? Why hadn't she been able to meet us at the corner? The questions swirled around my head like mouthwash in my mouth, trying to clear away the negative possibilities of what could have happened to her. Anything could happen to her right now. The world, as we knew it, had gone straight to Hell. Walking corpses ate living people, turning them into their own. No one was thinking logically anymore.

I stared out the window as I let the tears travel down my face. The setting sun was blinding. I blinked the tears away, asking for more to release the jumbled up feelings of pain and sadness. I watched silently as a mother and daughter stumbled their way down the street. The zombies started after them, setting them as their new targets for food. They'd probably get caught and eaten alive.

I didn't care.

Why should I anyway? That might have happened to Stevie Rae. She could've been running and probably tripped or was trapped and they got her. They probably gnawed on her until they were chewing on bone. Blood was probably everywhere. Her screams could have been mingled in with the plenty of others we heard on our way to the bus. Who knows? She could very well be one of the ones we just plowed over.

I shook my head, covering my ears in attempt to stop my thoughts. I wanted it to stop. I wanted it all to stop until I could focus and think straight. Somehow I knew that it wasn't possible. At least not right now. I couldn't even imagine the possibility of Stevie Rae being one of them. She was too sweet, too good to eat people.

I remembered the first time I met her. It was my first day of school as the new girl. It was second grade. When my mom got remarried, we had to move to Henrietta. My older sister was just starting the fifth grade. Kevin was barely walking.

I had clung to my mom's hand as she lead me to my new classroom. I remembered her warm hugs and reassuring kisses as she told me that I was going to make new friends. Then, with tears in her eyes, she had left me standing outside of the door. I had knocked ever so carefully on the glass of the window and waited for the teacher to let me in. In the reflection of the glass, I had seen how big my eyes were and how fuzzy and out of control my hair had been. A few weeks before my mom had decided to cut my long hair. I hadn't liked it so I tried to fix it myself. It had looked even worse.

However, as the teacher made her way to the door, I locked eyes with a small girl. Her hair was wild, too. Not frizzy like mine, but flying around her head as her curls shot out everywhere. Her blue eyes had been big, too, but not scared like mine. Hers were wide with curiosity at the new kid at the door. I remembered how the teacher introduced me to the class. She had asked the little girl to lead me around the school and show me what they had been doing.

"Hi! Mine name is Stevie Rae Johnson, but you can call me Stevie Rae!" she had introduced herself to me, holding out her small hand.

"I'm Zoey." I had took her hand in mine as she crazily shook it with enthusiasm.

"I know."

"How do you know? You knew I was coming?"

She had nodded quickly, leading me around the colorful cafeteria. "Oh, yeah! Mrs. Neferet told us the day before yesterday when your mama called the school and said you was comin' here. I thought you'd be here yesterday, but I guess you got busy or somethin'."

Stevie Rae had pulled me through our small elementary school, showing me the different grade halls and the library. She had been really energetic, even for a kid.

"Stevie Rae, why haven't you asked me about my ugly hair? I mean, I'm real glad you haven't laughed at me or asked me a billion questions, but everyone's been staring at it. You haven't even really looked at it. Why?"

It had been then that I began to appreciate her natural kindness. Her eyes had tentatively glanced up at my head and she'd shrugged her narrow shoulders. "You're my new friend. I guess I was thinkin' that you'd tell me when you were ready. My mama taught me not to ask personal questions when you first meet somebody. Well, we're gonna be classmates for the rest of the year..." she had trailed off, lost in thought. "I guess what I'm tryin' to sayis that I want us to be best friends."

I had smiled at her. Through the two big gaps where I had been missing my teeth, I had managed to say,"I want us to be best friends, too."

I brushed back the heavy tears that were trying to drown me. Snot was smeared all over my face in the disgusting, gross way it always was when I bawled. My chest ached and burned as I hiccuped and sobbed. There was just no way she could be gone. I refused to believe it. She was best friend, she was my sister.

"She can't be gone," I whispered to my reflection. "She just can't be."

I continued to watch as the mother and daughter stumbled down the street. My heart jumped into my throat when the daughter tripped and fell. The mother tried to get her to get up, urging her with caring, motivational words. The zombies were getting closer. I watched, fixated by fear. Inside my head, I was chanting and praying for the little girl to get up so they could run to safety.

"I can't!" the little girl sobbed. "My ankle hurts, Mommy! I can't stand!"

"It's okay, baby. It's okay." The mom bent down to grab her daughter's hands. "Don't worry. You can do it. I believe in you."

The girl tried again, but this time she cried out in pain and sunk down to her knees. She shook her head, breaking away from her mother. She rubbed her face as she wept. "Mommy, I can't! It hurts too much! I can't!"

The mom was just about to reach for her again when something caught her by her hair. It jerked her back, throwing her onto the pavement. As she tried to get up, one of the undead corpses tackled her, digging into her. I could hear her screams as clearly as if she were sitting next to me. More and more were on her, picking away at her. I could see the blood seeping out from under the mob. The little girl was crying out to her mom, scooting back away from them, her back pressed against the wall of the building.

They were going to get her next if I didn't do something. I knew I had to do something, I could feel it deep inside me. Quickly, I swatted the tears and snot from my face and began to hurl myself up the aisle. Many of my friends looked up at me with startled expressions. I ignored them. My destination at the moment was Darius.

"Zoey, what are you doing?" Damien asked me. His voice was soft with concern.

I felt bad for not answering him because I knew he really cared. But, he wasn't what I was worried about at the moment. My only concern was that little girl.

"Darius," I rasped, clinging to the back of his seat. "Darius, you need to stop the bus. Now."

"What? Zoey, I'm afraid I can't do that," he replied, glancing up at me.

"Damn it, Darius! Just do it!" I screamed at him. I felt a chill ripple through the air on the bus. "There's a little girl who's gonna die if we don't stop the bus!"

"If she's cussing, she's serious," I heard Aphrodite mutter under her breath.

"We can't put our lives at stake for one person, Zoey. Think about the danger it would put us all in."

I knew he was thinking logically, but logical was thrown out the window the minute the first zombie stepped onto campus. I wanted to agree with him and go back to my pity corner, but I knew that wasn't right. I had to save her. I was all she had left.

"She's a little girl, Darius! She's hurt! Please! We have to help her!"

**_Rephaim_**

The moment he woke up was a moment he regretted. He should have just stayed asleep. Actually, if he should have done anything, he should've died. He didn't deserve to be saved to begin with, but apparently the small blonde didn't understand that. Also, he didn't want to be saved. His brothers had left him for dead. They were the only reason he lived and now they were gone.

Grunting, Rephaim forced himself to sit up. His hand instantly went to his chest. Though he was tightly bandaged and the girl had cleaned the wound, it still pained him to move. He was foolish to think otherwise. He supported himself up with his arm behind him, without it he would have collapsed. It certainly felt better than yesterday. Already, Rephaim could feel his injuries were beginning to heal themselves. That was good.

His eyes went down to his bandages. He squinted, trying to peer through the murky darkness that engulfed the room. What time was it? Last he knew, it was close to sunset. There wasn't a working clock in the nurses' office. The one that had used to hang above the door had fallen and busted along with pieces of glass. It was times like this one that Rephaim wished he owned a phone or at least a watch.

He looked at the girl sprawled in the chair, multiple blankets piled on her. Did she have a phone, or a watch? He didn't see a watch on her wrist. What about a phone? Yes, she had one. It rested on the sea of tiles next to her clothes. Clothes? What was she wearing then if those were on the floor? Rephaim shook his head.

_Never mind that_, he scolded himself. _The phone! Get it and check the time_.

Holding his breath, Rephaim threw the blanket off of him. She must have grabbed one for him even though he had told her he hadn't needed it. He was still grateful that she hadn't listened to him. The bottoms of his feet touched the floor and he had to resist gasping at the cold contact. Slowly, he eased himself off the bed until he was swaying on his two feet. The effects of blood loss and his adrenaline rush were starting to take over him. If he wasn't quick about this, he was sure to collapse onto the floor.

Taking easy deep breaths, he put one foot in front of the other. The distance between him and Stevie Rae was short. The chair was only a couple feet away. He had to be careful though. Litter was everywhere. It was clear that someone had been here before them. The place was a mess with bits of broken containers and trash everywhere. He almost fell forward when he noticed a motionless zombie in the corner of the room. Its face had been smashed in by something hard. It was obvious that it took a lot of force.

It was taking him longer than he would have liked it to have. There were several times where he had almost lost his footing and crashed to the floor. His wounds were also causing him difficulties. The pain of them was slowing him down, each movement sent a wave of fire smothering him.

What he did next was far from safe. His toes had just pressed against yet another cool tile when he fell. It had been wet and slippery, slick with some kind of liquid. He had tried to catch himself on something to keep himself from hitting the floor. Instead, he pulled a bookshelf down and it made a loud crashing noise. Echoing the bookshelf was his agonized scream. Rephaim had landed on his tailbone, sending sharp, shooting pains up his spine and throughout his injuries. Tears burned in his eyes and he had to blink them away to keep them from falling.

His scream and the impact of the bookshelf meeting the ground echoed loudly. Dread flooded through him, mingling with his pain. He knew that he just signed his and Stevie Rae's death certificates. The noises bounced off the walls, traveling along the floor and walls, seeping out the cracks of the room, and echoed across the school grounds.

Before he knew it, Rephaim could hear the unmistakable sound of growls and snarls out side the door and window.

_**Stevie Rae**_

Her sleep was silent. It wasn't restful. It wasn't peaceful. She didn't have dreams, but she didn't have nightmares either. She just...slept. It was a deep sleep at that. Probably due to all the running and screaming yesterday.

Her hands tightened on the many blankets on her, bringing them closer. She was sweating underneath them all even without her clothes on. Something was disturbing her, shaking her roughly. Their hands were pinching her, jerking her as hard as they possible could. She swatted at them to leave her alone. Mumbling curses under her breath, Stevie Rae yanked the blanket over her head and turned around.

"Stevie Rae, you _must_ wake up _now_!" A voice broke through her thick veil of exhaustion. She recognized it as Rephaim. Something about his voice was off. In it, she could make out fear and urgency that she wasn't used to with him yet. She heard something else mixed with the sound of his command. Hungry moans and monstrous hissing.

It all registered in her head, making her bolt right up in the chair. To her utter shock, she was able to take everything at once. Rephaim was trembling on the floor by her feet, his eyes hard with determination. He was hold a leg of a fallen bookshelf. Hands formed into claws and snarling faces were struggling to squeeze into jagged opening of what once used to be a window in the door. She could hear faint noises of growls across the room where she had broke the other window to escape the first time.

Stevie Rae came up with multiple depressing realizations. They were completely surrounded and there was no way out. Rephaim was severely injured and probably wasn't able to fight. The zombies were going to get inside and eat them. She was going to have to fight to defend both of them.

And she was as good as naked.

It took everything inside her not to slap her forehead at being so stupid. Why hadn't she put the dang clothes on to begin with? Sure, they had been wet, but so what? Then she realized that Rephaim wasn't wearing much either.

_Someone should just smack me upside my dumb head_, Stevie Rae thought in irritation.

"What should we do?" Rephaim asked her suddenly. His gaze kept flickering from the door, the window, and her.

"We should probably get dressed first. Then we can think of somethin'." She clutched the blankets to the front of her and stood.

He blinked at her as if noticing that he was only half-dressed. He chuckled darkly to himself. She had to suppress the feeling of suspicion. She knew that he needed her help standing so she walked over to him.

"Here." Stevie Rae bent at the waist. "Wrap your arms around me. You're gonna need my help standin'. I'm gonna put my arms under you and I'm gonna help ya back over to the bed. Sound like a plan?"

Rephaim looked at her as if she suggested that they should just walk out there face them with nothing to defend themselves. He continued to stare at her, waiting for her to give another option. When he finally understood that she was serious, he nodded with an eye roll, wrapping his arms around her waist. It was too easy for her to slip hers under his. She pulled him to her as she slowly began straighten herself up. Her hands held him to her as he pulled his feet under him so they were flat with the ground. She could practically hear him grinding his teeth in her ear. As he began to push himself up into a standing position, he had to force back a pained groan.

It wasn't until they were both standing in each other's arms that Stevie Rae realized that she had let go of the blankets and they had fallen away from her.

* * *

**Oooh la la! Hahaha:) I'm so evil:D So suspenseful?! Please read and review! Hope you liked this chapter!**

**-RSR**


	6. Chapter 6

**YES! YES! I FINALLY FINISHED THIS CHAPTER! I started it yesterday, but I kept getting distracted and losing interest so I had to stop before I slopped crap down and created a crappy chapter! You guys wouldn't appreciate that for sure! No, instead, I took little breaks, read so FanFics of some of my favorite anime shows, jammed to music, ate some donuts, thought about other ideas for more FanFics. Ya know, just ****_chilled_****. Not to mention that yesterday I had soccer tryouts and tryouts today, too! It was raining also, not that I'm complaining, I love the rain! Oh, crap. Sorry, I'm babbling. Well, anyway, here's Chapter 6!**

**Special Thanks To:**

**IloveZimandNny16**

**SmilesSaveLives**

**NataONE**

**and**

**Juliana Rose - Oh, really? I never thought of it like that! It kinda does now that you mentioned it:) I'm glad you liked the flashback, took me forever to make it flow and fix it up before I updated though. And I agree! I love her, too! Plus, you are so right on that, even though it's a depressing thought.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the HON series!**

**Songs:**

_**Zoey**_**: (POV 1) - Somebody Told Me by the Killers, (POV 2) - Set Fire to the Rain by Adele**

_**Rephaim**_**: Addicted by Saving Abel**

_**Stevie Rae**_**: Rumor (or Rumour?) Has It by Adele (BTW, MY #1 Favorite Song EVER!)**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_**Zoey**_

I almost fell on my butt when Darius jerked the wheel to the left. I was lucky that they put that tall railing beside the stairs or else I would have. The tires screeched loudly and I could feel the whole bus tilt sideways before straightening back out and lurching towards the hurt girl and the mob of zombies.

"Stark!" I hollered over my shoulder. "Are you ready?"

"Ready? Always!" I saw him lunge forwards and grasp the back of a bus seat as we hit a bump. It made everyone jump off of their seats.

"What's the plan?"

I whipped my head around to the sound of the person asking me. I was a little shocked to see Dallas - Stevie Rae's boyfriend - standing with a bloody bowling trophy in his hands. His eyes were red and puffy from crying, like mine probably were. He looked so broken and depressed that I had to keep myself from hugging him. He reminded me of a lost puppy dog.

"I'm hoping that we just grab the little girl, pull her in, and drive off. We can't save her mom. She'll be as good as one of them by the time we save her daughter. We'll be lucky if she isn't by the time we get there," I answered him as honestly as I could.

His head bobbed mechanically. I could practically feel the heartbreak radiating off of him. Hell, his girlfriend could be dead for all we knew.

"Zoey, we don't have much time. Get out, grab the girl, get in. If you take any longer than a couple minutes, we're stuck here," Darius informed me with a tight expression.

I immediately felt guilty because I knew I was risking all of our lives to save an injured, dependent little girl who probably could barely even use a toaster by herself. I shouldn't even be taking risks like this during our current situation, but it was the right thing to do. She was so defenseless... She reminded me of Stevie Rae.

"I'm going to open the door and you must get out immediately. Do you understand?"

Me, Stark, and Dallas nodded, bracing ourselves for the walking undead outside.

"One..."

I swallowed back the scared vomit and sobs, gaining my strength.

"Two..."

I heard Stark take a deep breath behind me, preparing himself.

"Three!"

Darius pulled the lever, opening the entrance to the disastrous world our life has become. We dive out, instantly breaking into a run. The headlights that beam out from the front of the bus light up the little girl. Her mother has stopped moving completely, but that didn't stop the growing crowd of zombies. There was about a dozen of them at the moment with more on the way.

Stark and Dallas held up their weapons, watching my back, as I rushed over to the girl. She saw me and threw her hands up and screamed in absolute terror. Her face was blotchy with red spots and her lips were cracked and bleeding. Her ankle was swollen and bruised. It seemed like everyone was having a tough day.

"Shh! Shh! It's okay!" I murmured urgently. "We're here to help you, sweetie. We're gonna take real good care of you and your ankle, but you got to quit screaming. Can you do that for me? If you don't, they're gonna come over here and make things really difficult for us. Okay?" I didn't even recognize my voice.

Cautiously, the girl lowered her hands and nodded. Her eyes were a light green and looked me up and down in suspicion. "How are ya gonna help me?"

My heart twisted. She even had a slight twang. It was barely audible, but I could hear it. "We're gonna carry you to the bus and get to some place safe."

"Zoey! We have to go! Now!" Stark swatted at a zombie that was starting to come towards us.

"Okay!" I shouted to him. Without warning, I scooped up the girl in my arms, ignoring her screams of pain in my ear and jogged to the bus.

_**Rephaim**_

He stood there, trying to blink through the dizziness mingled with the pain. That was all that he could feel at the moment. He could feel himself sway into her small body, leaning into her for support. She was strong enough to keep them both standing which was very impressive. He hadn't expected her to be able to support him and herself. She was just so much smaller than the other girls. Not only in height, but in build, too. Her limbs were so thin and dainty. It was amazing that she wasn't constantly snapping them in half.

One by one, his other senses began to return to him. First was smell, which he wasn't expecting at all. He was immediately engulfed in something sweet and clean. He could pick up other traces of nauseating fumes and the rotting corpse in the corner of the room. The sweet scent was captivating and he didn't even know where it was coming from.

Next to come back to him was sound. He could he the groups of zombies building at the door and the window. They pounded on the door roughly and clawed at the curtains eagerly. The rhythmic breathing of heavy pants seemed to fill his ears.

Following sound was taste. Immediately, Rephaim could feel the familiar copper taste fill his mouth. He must have been biting his lip to hold back his protests. Sweat was dripping from his nose from the strain it was taking him to keep from collapsing and catching on his lips. The saltiness of his blood and sweat was enough to make him light-headed.

The sense of feeling slammed into him, making him gasp. It confused him at first. He knew that the pain in his body was on the borderline of unbearable. All of his wounds had increased their agonizing burn since he had fallen. Now he had that new injury at the bottom of his back. It throbbed brutally. But that wasn't what confused him. What completely baffled him was the gentle, reassuring touch of her arms around him. Her hands rested carefully above his newly formed bruise. Her fingers were smooth and caring on his scorching flesh.

What bewildered him even more to the extent where he could barely understand it was how close she was. He wasn't used to being this close to another person if he wasn't causing them harm. Rephaim could feel her against him, her whole body embracing his. It was strange though; he could feel a lot of her bare skin against his own. He was surprised by how warm she was. Wasn't she covering herself with a blanket?

Sight. Finally, sight slapped itself back to him. Instantly, he saw broken glass and decayed limbs poking through the windows. Shadows were casted along the walls and floors, creating eerie figures. And he saw her. The top of her curly blonde head was a few inches shorter than his chin. He could see the smooth skin of her bare shoulder, her back, and...Rephaim ripped his gaze away. Irritatingly enough, he could feel the heat of his wounds rise up into his cheeks.

"You okay enough to walk over to the bed and dress yourself?" she asked him anxiously.

He glanced down at her in surprise. She was blushing as well. Not trusting himself to speak, he nodded. Quickly, Rephaim removed his arms from around her and turned his back to her. He hastily began to get dressed, wincing and suppressing groans at each sharp movement. It took every ounce of will power to keep from glancing over his shoulder at her. He could hear the faint shuffling sounds as she yanked on her own clothes.

"What do you plan we should do about them?" Rephaim asked, jerking his head over to the crowded windows. Fear twisted in his gut when he noticed how the chair was gradually being pushed across the floor and how the curtains had giant holes in them now.

Nervous and frightened, Stevie Rae adjusted the bottom of her blood-stained shirt. "We can't bust outta here without them followin' us in hot pursuit. We're trapped in here with no one to call for help..." She trailed off, lost in thought. They were in a bad situation. It'd be a miracle if both of them escaped alive and unharmed.

Her blue eyes met his. "I think I might have an idea."

_**Zoey**_

I didn't have time to worry about how I was holding her in my arms. I knew I probably should, but how could I with a pack of zombies on my tail? I was just glad that she wasn't heavy enough to send us crashing down onto the hard, rocky gravel.

"Hurry, Zoey!"

I looked up and saw Aphrodite standing in the door of the bus, gesturing us to speed up the pace. She kept glancing behind me nervously, her cheeks paling at whatever she was seeing. I was unable to stop myself from looking back, too. I immediately wished I hadn't. The zombies had ditched the girl's mom completely, limping after us quickly. Stark and Dallas were beating them away as they ran behind me. They were watching my back, running slower than me on purpose.

Gratitude swelled up inside my throat, calling guilt to join it as they fought to break me down. It would totally my fault if I get my boyfriend and Stevie Rae's boyfriend killed. I didn't think I would be able to live with myself if that were to happen.

I shook my head furiously, ripping my attention back to the bus. My hair was flying everywhere around me as the dusk breeze caught it and yanked it evilly. The little girl had stopped screaming, but every now and then she would whimper at the sudden jerking motions. I frequently had to keep repositioning her in my arms.

Luckily, the bus was only parked a block away. We were halfway there. I heard Darius start up the engine, the bus roaring in rage. The rumbles vibrated in the air around us. Behind me, I kept hearing the disturbing sounds of cracks and feet pounding. The headlights were absolutely blinding as they flickered on, casting shadows along the front sides of buildings and the streets.

One thing I've learned about this whole experience, the streets definitely looked creepier when the automatic streetlights were out. It was completely dark now; not a ray of setting sunlight left. The stars were poking through the black, clouded sky like reassuring light bulbs. Darkness from alleys seemed to taint the abandoned buildings lining the road. I heard a crack of thunder and saw a bright glimpse of lightning overhead. I guessed those had been rain clouds and not just the regular clouds of blackness.

"How much longer?" the little girl panted through the pain. Her green eyes looking up at me as if expecting a positive reply. I had almost forgotten she was there. I said almost because she wasn't the lightest thing I've carried.

"Uh," I glanced back up at the bus. Good thing I did, too, because it was now heading our way. It lurched forward, turning sideways as it glided, knocking back some of the zombies and crushing them.

"Zoey!" Aphrodite cried, thrusting her arm out at me just as they were about to pass in front of me. "Grab my hand!"

With a frantic shout, I latched onto her hand, squeezing it in bone-snapping strength. I clutched the little girl to my chest, feeling her hot tears of pain seep into my shirt as I put pressure on her ankle. Stark and Dallas turned in shock when they heard me. They barely jumped out of the way before Darius would've rolled over them, too. I dangled from Aphrodite's arm as she used all of her strength to pull me in against the heavy weight of me and the little girl and the air force battering us.

I struggled to breathe against the harsh wind. Aphrodite was having difficulties pulling us in and I saw her feet slowly slipping closer to the edge of the stairs. Stark and Dallas have positioned themselves back-to-back as they beat the daylights out of the zombies now surrounding them. Darius jerked the wheel in a tight spin, whisking the long vehicle to a swirling stop. While we spun, I grew horrified as Aphrodite fell down on her butt and had to keep herself from getting sucked out of the door by propping her legs against the railings.

"Jesus Christ, Zoey! How much do you fucking weigh?" she groaned, her grip tightening on me.

"Now is so not the time, Aphrodite! Help me in already!" I yelled in panic as I felt something strong pull on my hair.

**_Stevie Rae_**

Her hands franticly searched the drawers of the nurses' desk. The growls and snarls were becoming more pronounced and closer. Growing more and more frustrated and desperate, Stevie Rae began to rip the drawers out and shake them upside down, scanning the contents as they crashed to the floor. Whenever she didn't find something in one drawer, she would chuck it across the room and kick the items angrily. They had to be in here. She's seen them in here before when she had once grabbed a sticky note when she had been assisting the nurse.

_Well, where the hell can they be now? _she demanded in irritability.

"You shouldn't be making so much noise," Rephaim snapped at her as she hurled yet another useless container against the wall. "It isn't helping our situation any. If it's doing anything, it's bringing more of them to us."

Outraged, Stevie Rae veered her head towards him. His eyes were hard and cold with bitter annoyance. "I don't care! Me bein' loud isn't exactly hurtin' our situation either."

He didn't respond back to her. He just shifted his glare onto something else; the zombies at the door. Shaking her head, she focused her attention back to the desk. She only had a drawer left and she was using all of her energy into praying that they were in there. In the corner of her eye, she saw Rephaim take a quick, guarded sweep of the office. His spine straightened with sick realization.

"Where is the mop?" he asked her. Gingerly, he pushed himself away from the bed and stumbled over the trash on the floor, his hands searching for something urgently.

"The what?" she asked back at him, not really paying attention to him as she scurried through the belongings of the now probably dead or zombiefied school nurse.

"The mop," he answered her in a flat tone. "Where is it?"

She heaved a distressed and surly sigh. With a violent flick of her wrists, she flung the last drawer over her head behind her. "I don't know! I don't care! I don't know where the hell it is or how to get us out of this! I don't give a dang toot about a silly mop right now!"

Her outburst seemed to only push his buttons. "That silly mop," he said in a strained, patient voice,"was the only thing I had to defend myself. Did you not think to grab it when you saved me?"

"No! I had a whole damn flock of those people-eating bastards on my butt! I was busy saving you to even consider grabbing it!" Her anger was spiking dangerously. She knew she shouldn't be screaming or taking it out on Rephaim, but he was the only living person she could vent to.

His hands shot up into the air in disbelief. "How am I suppose to protect myself?"

An aggravated yelp was rising in her throat. She covered her face in her hands and groaned. Angry tears and an embarrassed blush were shining on her face. She felt so useless at the moment that all she wanted to do was scream and scream and scream until she could no longer speak. Maybe not being able to talk would reduce her stress and anxiety.

Trying to force back the wails and cries that were forcing themselves out of her mouth, Stevie Rae focused on Rephaim. He was desperately searching for something to use as a weapon. He couldn't use that leg of the bookshelf that he had before; it was too short. He found a door to the supply closet and opened it. In there, from over his shoulder, she could see a broom, wipes, bleach, and sponges. He instantly grabbed the broom and with almost inhuman speed, broke the fuzzy-cleaning-part of it off. Then, he began to jab the air and twirl it around his fingers.

"This will have to do," he grumbled to himself, dissatisfied.

She felt a little bad about what all she had said to him. She should apologize and, maybe, exchange weapons with him. Her bat was slightly shorter than his stick, but it held more power. Plus, Stevie Rae didn't want to have to get too close to them to kill them, which she didn't plan on doing much of. Not to mention, Rephaim struck her as the kind of guy who liked to get close and physical when it came to killing something, or someone.

She was just about to open her mouth and offer up the trade and apologize when the chair underneath the handle finally gave in and fell away, leaving the door to fly open and welcome in their starving killers.

* * *

***cue dramatic piano music* The end of Chapter 6! How was that? Do I know suspense, or do I know suspense? Just kidding! Well, ya know the deal: read and review please! Tell me what you think!**

**-RSR**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Ikr? Another chapter! This one is a little more positive than the last one:) That's good:) Anyway, hope you like:)**

**Special Thanks To:**

**SmilesSaveLives**

**and**

**Juliana Rose - Oh, goodie! You watch the Walking Dead, too? I love that show! I have another solution, so it's okay:)**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the HON series!**

**Songs:**

_**Stevie Rae**_**: (POV 1) - Hero by Skillet (POV 2) - Harder to Breathe by Maroon 5**

_**Zoey**_**: Princess of China by Cold Play ft. Rihanna**

_**Rephaim**_**: Chasing Pavements by Adele**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_**Stevie Rae**_

Several coarse words surfaced in her mind at the sight of the monsters. She heard the curtain rip away from the window, the curtain rod clattered loudly against the tiles, and more snarls joined the growling harmony. Glass crunched underneath their feet as they shuffled quickly their way.

Rephaim swung the long end of the broom, contacting one of their heads. She saw the blood and bits of brain shower the wall and the zombies coming from the broken window. He gasped at the pain of his sudden movements, clutching his chest where the bullet wound was. Another replaced it as it fell to the ground. She saw the strain it caused him lift the stick and send it flying again and again and again.

Though he didn't say anything, she knew he needed her help. Stevie Rae fell to her knees and reached for her bat that had rolled under his bed. Her fingers brushed against it's cool, bloody steel, pushing it back. She yelled in frustration and stretched even more, ignoring the burning of her overstretched muscles. The sounds of abominable snarls and Rephaim grunting and gasping urged her to quicken her speed. There was a rough impact noise and it wasn't one made by a weapon.

Something gripped Stevie Rae by her shirt, dragging her our from under the bed. Blood spit sprayed her limps, coating her in the sticky saliva. Fear jolted through her and she acted on instinct, flipping on her back. Her eyes met the ones of her murder. Her stomach flipped. They held no color at all. The iris wasn't blue or green, brown or gray. It was a nasty, filmy color that possessed no life.

Teeth barred, the undead creature began to grasp her by her arms and yank her up towards him. He twitched in famine. His mouth was a gruesome nightmare and his tongue was a bloody hunk of meat. She screamed, thrashing to get away from it. Her feet reached up and kicked it, shoving it away from her. At the same time, Rephaim had turned when he heard her, bashing its skull with his stick.

"Hurry," he huffed, out of breath and pale. Red was blooming out from under his bandage.

Stevie Rae didn't give him an answer; she dove back under the bed. Before she did, she pushed it completely against the wall, hoping to close the distance between her and the bat. To her relief, her hand gripped it around the handle. She pulled it out and was getting ready to join him when her eye caught it.

A small rectangular box.

Hope and joy suffused from her chest and embraced her muscles and bones. It was what she had been looking for in the desk! It was their savior, their hero, their way out! She was getting ready to tackle for it when she realized something. It was in front of the bathroom, almost underneath the door, behind the big mass of zombies that were flooding into the crowded, cluttered, dirty office.

The hope and joy died.

Her eyes began to scan for a way out. There was no way - absolutely no hope - that they were going to get out of this alive. There was too many of them and only two of them. Actually, one and a half. Rephaim was draining his energy quick. No matter how hard he pressed and fought, she could see he was struggling to stand. He was swaying side to side when he wasn't lunging forward. There was just too much sweat on him to be real. It looked like someone had dumped three buckets of glistening water on him. His movements were even slowing.

She began to feel desperate. She didn't kill countless of her classmates just to die now. She didn't save Rephaim for him to die now. If he was going to die, he would have done it in the parking lot or when he was asleep. No, they weren't going to die here. Not now. Stevie Rae refused for that to happen. It just wasn't going to happen. _It wasn't_.

More and more were filling the nonexistent space in the small room. They were overpowering them. Rephaim was gasping uncontrollably now and his groans were loud and full of agony.

Stevie Rae stared at the box for a few more moments, making her decision. She grabbed a nearby bottle of alcohol, opened it, and threw it on the ground. It poured everywhere, coating everything.

**_Zoey_**

It hurt like hell. I knew it probably would've, but not this much. This pain was unlike any other. The hands that were in my hair yanked me back off the bus, throwing me down on the asphalt. I felt something snap inside me somewhere in my torso. The little girl rolled out of my arms, landing on the sidewalk on her ankle. Her scream ripped out of her. I had to clamp down on my lips to keep from answering her screams with my own.

"Zoey!" I heard Aphrodite yell to me. Her blue eyes were wide in fear as she took in my dangerous situation.

It was hard to hear around the pain in my body. I'd hit my head on the pavement and my ribs hurt. I could feel scrapes covering my skin from when I had rolled across the rocky surface. There wasn't much blood from the cuts, but I felt something wet and sticky seeping into my hair. I remember hitting my head on the road.

I took a deep breath to sit up, but when I tried both of them, I was engulfed in pain unimaginable. Vomit felt like acid in my throat and mouth as I turned over, screamed, and threw up at the pain. My body was rejecting it completely. It was horrible, not real, _too_ real. My mind couldn't accept; my body wouldn't. I tried to sift through logic and explanations, trying to find a way to get up and back to the little girl and get her to the bus. My eyes found her, sobbing, bending over her ankle as she tried to massage the pain away.

A shadow passed over me, followed by another. I knew I was done for. I could tell by the screams that were coming from the bus and shouts from Stark. I did everything that I could to move, but I couldn't do anything except cry out with each slight movement.

Hands began to grab at me, pulling me in every direction. All I could hear was the loud shrill of my own screams. Drowned out by my own pleas, I could vaguely hear the volume of their shouts and hollers increase.

Blood sprayed me as the zombies fought over who got to me first. Some flesh and skin was lodged in the cracks of their stained teeth, which I could see all too much of. They jerked me everywhere; my back rubbed against the gravel underneath me, slicing into my clothes and skin.

Something warm rained down and coated me head to toe. I glanced up and saw Stark raising the splintering end of the chair leg again and pierced the back of another's head. Dallas was behind him, warding off anymore from joining the few that had surrounded me. Somehow they'd managed to reach me from where they had been. I wanted to move, but I knew that if I tried it wouldn't do anything except worsen the agony.

All I could do was lay there as I watched Stark and Dallas kill the walking undead, one after another. It was a disgusting scene to witness, especially up close. Over heads, I saw Darius abandon the bus and run behind us, dashing to the little girl. His lips moved urgently to her and I could make out her slight nod. She raised her hands up and he was more gentle with how he picked her up and ran off. Her sweet face twisted, but I didn't hear a single peep from her.

"Okay, Z," Stark huffed. He wiped sweat and blood from his face, kneeling beside me. "I'm gonna run us back to the bus, okay? Just hold on."

There were still quite a few zombies left, but Dallas was now struggling to regain his breath. Stark was panting heavily as he began to slide his arms under me. The moment my body was lifted from the ground I released such a blood-curdling scream I was surprised he didn't drop me. Instead, he clutched me closer, yelling over to Dallas something I couldn't hear.

When we started to move, I just wanted to die. It was the worst pain in the world. If I were to get struck by lightning or drowned, I was sure I would've passed out in relief.

The jog to the bus seemed to take forever. It seemed even longer since the rain started to drop from the sky after a clap of thunder. It had started in just little sprinkles, but began to pick up its speed and pressure.

**_Stevie Rae_**

A clap of thunder sounded outside just as Stevie Rae watched the liquid spread across the contents on the floor. Her eyes watched, starving, until they were satisfied with how much it covered. She took her bat and beat some of the zombies away from herself and Rephaim before turning back to the nearby cupboards and sifting through them. She found another bottle and did the same, this time chucking it farther across the room, near the tiny box.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rephaim shouted, whimpering as he had to shove the broom end into a skull and yank it out. The sound made her stomach twist with guilt.

"I told ya I've got an idea," she hollered back to him. Stevie Rae whirled around and sent the bat crashing down on them, kicking them away. As she carried out with her plan, she tried to help Rephaim as much as possible. After all, she was trying to save both of them.

Her hand closed around the last bottle of cleaning alcohol and she unscrewed it. This last one she was going to send hurling out the window in the door. That was if she could get to the right angle.

"Whatever it is," he panted,"it needs to hurry up. I can't take much more."

Stevie Rae scooted around to the window - the only one that wasn't broken yet - and aimed. One of the undead plowed into her, knocking her sideways and she lost her balance and aim, sending the alcohol pouring on both of their tattered and bloody clothes. It was a good thing she hadn't set the bat down. She took the butt of it and - much like she had once before - began to jab into its face repeatedly. It was becoming her signature move.

Pushing its lifeless, motionless body off of her, Stevie Rae stood and held the bat out in front of her, sideways, like a shield. Swallowing the bundle of anxiety and nervousness, she began to run, shoving her way through them all. Rephaim was still fighting, getting weaker and weaker by the second. She could see it in his face and in the way his body was moving now. He was right.

He wasn't going to last much longer.

Some of the zombies have turned her way when they heard her running. Their hands were outstretched; their mouths wide open in disgusting yearning. One of them had gotten too close and she had to swing the bat at it, exposing herself completely. They almost caught if she hadn't had faster reflexes than them. She dove under their arms and slammed into the door. Her hands instantly snatch the box and she had to restrain herself from kissing it in pure joy.

"Rephaim!" she called to him. He had stopped fighting and was leaning against the bed, breathing heavily. "Break the other window! Don't question it; just do it! Trust me!"

Stevie Rae saw him hesitate before he was reaching for something heavy. She opened the box and pulled out a single match. With cleaning alcohol all over the room, it was sure to light up quick. They were clawing at her furiously, trying to get a limb to sink their teeth into or a part of her clothes to pull her to them. She beat them away with hands and feet, keeping them a good distance away from her. Though it took him sometime, Stevie Rae heard the sound of glass breaking.

She didn't even blink.

With a quick, careless flick of her hand, she brought the red tip quickly up the side of the box and dropped it on the ground beside her. It was like the fourth of July was taking place inside the nurses' office. Except that it had decided to take on a red and orange theme.

The fire engulfed everything. It took control over paper, lamps, glass, and the zombies. They seemed unfazed by it, but she could see their flesh slowly dripping off of them like wax off a candle.

It also engulfed her.

The alcohol that had seeped into clothes before welcomed the flames eagerly, coaxing them to spread onto her pants and limbs. A scream tore itself out of her as she frantically weaved in and out of the ignited bodies and towers of embers and black smoke. The scream never ended; she never paused or took a breath. It was like someone pressed a repeat button on inside her.

_**Rephaim**_

The wind and rain calmed the intense blazing in his body. He leaned against the rough brick of the school building, head tilted back, trying to catch a breath. He tried multiple times to take a deep breath, and failed every time. The series of pants and gasps seemed to never end for him. It was like a wave of scorching agony. His wounds were unbelievable. He never thought that such pain could exist.

Rephaim straightened his spine and took a deep breath through his nose and out his mouth. He needed to get back to the girl. She had helped him and he owed her. Especially since he hadn't even known her and she had risked her own life to save his. That was never easy to pay back.

He pushed himself off the wall and instantly fell to his knees. The black dots were swarming his vision and his skull felt too tight on his brain. He wanted desperately to sit down and put his head between his knees until they were gone. The dizziness never eased, never vanished. It wrapped around him like a suffocating blanket.

An instant brightness shot out from the window. It blinded him, causing the dull headache in his temples to increase painfully. It was strange, strange enough to make him stand and stumble over to the broken window. He was greeted by blistering red and orange tongues of fire. They were everywhere, claiming every object as their own as they lapped it all up. He watched, fixated as the zombies continued to wander around, completely engulfed by the outrageous fire.

Something in the back of his mind clicked and he understood. Rephaim could remember Stevie Rae throwing bottles of cleaning alcohol all around the room. He had deemed it as useless and irrelevant to their situation. Now he saw the connection.

She hadn't told him her plan at all when she had been rummaging through the cluttered desk. She had just reassured him that she had one. He'd decided to just let her be. There was no point in trying to argue with a woman. Rephaim learned this a long time ago from his father.

The more she looked, the more she had grown irritated. When she'd stopped, it was obvious to him that she didn't find whatever it was she had been searching desperately for. Of course, it was then that the zombies had broke down the weak barriers protecting them.

His eyes scanned through the flickering wall and black smog, searching for her. He was starting to panic when he didn't see her. Where was going to go if she died on him now? His brothers had left him and he had nothing to do with his father now. She was all he had left. He didn't have any family that he knew of; their father never spoke of them anyway. He hadn't consciously planned on staying with her. The realization of her possibly never coming out of the office had made him notice that he had decided to anyway.

"Stevie Rae!" he yelled into the fiery pit. Rephaim knew it wasn't the best idea, considering that he had as much strength as a two-year-old and the undead had intense hearing and would be on him in an instant. Still, he didn't care. He didn't want to be left alone, not in the kind of world they lived in now. There was nothing to live for. He never had anything to live for. Before all of this, he at least had his brothers. Now he had no one.

An abrupt shriek jolted right through him. In a flash, Rephaim was gripping the end of the windowsill and pulling himself up. Smoke battered him, choking him. His eyes burned and the tears clouded his vision.

"Stevie Rae!"

"Rephaim!" she cried in agony and fear. He could make out a dainty figure bent over, rushing towards him and the window. She had her arms pulled up under her armpits, her lips were pressed closed to keep form breathing too much of the toxic air that now surrounded them.

"Oh, God!" she gasped. "I'm not gonna make it. Get out, Rephaim. I can barely stand-"

He ignored her completely. He was going to help her. He _had_ to help her.

* * *

**Ooooohhhhh! What now? What's gonna happen to them? OH, no! I think I see some potential here:) I think I might start on the next chapter tomorrow:) Please read and review! Hope you liked it!**

**-RSR**


	8. Chapter 8

**Why, hello! I started this chapter this morning and I am proud to present it to you finished and sparkling! Yes, sparkling:) Why? Because sparkles and glowingness is amazing and makes everything bright and pretty. Believe it or not, that is your choice:)**

**Special Thanks To:**

**SmilesSaveLives**

**ILoveZimandNny16**

**NataONE**

**and**

**Juliana Rose**

***This update was requested by NataONE and kidasuniga143**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the HON series!**

**Songs:**

_**Zoey**_**: (POV 1) - Russian Roulette by Rihanna (POV 2) - Too Little Too Late by JoJo**

_**Rephaim**_**: Out Alive by Ke$ha**

_**Stevie Rae**_**: Dark Angel by Megan McCauley**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_**Zoey**_

The tears that streamed down my face felt like liquid fire. They seemed to be melting the skin of my face away as they continued to trail over my cheeks. The sobs brought on hiccups which only brought me more pain. My upper torso was in so much pain. It felt like someone was stabbing me over and over again, starting again just to hear my renewed agonized screams.

I knew I shouldn't be screaming, but what else could I do? As Stark ran as fast as he could to the bus with Dallas on his heels, fighting back the growing crowd of the undead, I was losing myself to the pain and the wet cold. Screaming was the only option left for me do, for me to reassure myself that I was still there.

That I was still, sadly, alive.

"Shh, Z," Stark panted. "It'll be okay. The bus is right there. We'll get on and Darius will help us. Do you hear me? Darius will help us. You just gotta keep it down for right now."

Oh, I heard him alright, crystal clear. I just didn't listen. He had no right telling me to be quiet while I was suffering probably the worst pain known to man (besides having a baby, of course. Nothing could hurt worse than that, right? Well, maybe getting shot or stabbed repeatedly). He had no right telling me anything at our given situation. Hell, he should just be grateful that I haven't turned psychotic and killed everybody yet.

"Holy shit, Zoey! Just shut the hell up!" Aphrodite told me. I could tell by the strain in her voice that she was trying to sound stern, but it must have failed with a glance behind us. "Get in here already!" I felt her grip Stark's arms and jerk us up the stairs. I saw her do the same to Dallas over Stark's shoulder.

There was a loud clatter and Darius slammed the bus doors closed behind us. He lurched the bus forwards, running over a few more zombies in the way, getting us the hell out of there. Stark sat us down in a bus seat, laying me against his chest with an arm around me. Through my screaming, I could hear him and Aphrodite talking.

"What do you mean she might not make it?" Aphrodite asked. It surprised me to hear how scared she sounded.

"We don't have the medical supplies Stevie Rae was suppose to grab with us. We would if she had met us at the corner, but she did not. Therefore, Zoey's chances of surviving are very limited."

"It's just a head injury and a few scrapes!"

"I'm afraid not, my beauty. She is losing too much blood from her head wound and there is no way for us to close it. She might have broken a few ribs as well. If we are to get swarmed by them, I have my doubts that Zoey will be able to get away without her either dying in the process or risking a few of us to save her."

Fear began to settle in my body and my screams were starting to die out. I knew what they were saying was true; I just didn't want to believe it. I couldn't. My ears fought to hear their words over the hum of the rest of my friends on the bus.

"No, Darius. Those aren't the options I'm looking for," she told him firmly, determined. "No one can die. Not now, not during all of _this_!"

"I know this, Aphrodite. It isn't like I want anyone to die, I am only telling you the possibilities of our situation. Zoey's chances are slim, and I doubt Tina's chances of survival as well."

"Fuck, Darius! We have to do something! Isn't there anyway to stitch up her cut or something?"

"We don't have the supplies necessary, or else I would it right now. I'm afraid we risked too much allowing Stevie Rae go into that office alone and saving Tina."

"Don't say that. You know damn well that we had to save her. We all thought bumpkin was able to take care of herself. It isn't our fault that she ended up getting separated from us."

Their words were harsh and raw with desperation. They wanted to be sure we were safe, but they knew our outcomes were poor. Them mentioning Stevie Rae was like a punch in the gut. It had been my fault that she'd gotten separated from us. It was also my fault that they were now stuck with a helpless, injured little girl that we didn't even know.

_**Rephaim**_

Instinct seemed to take over him, forcing him to step around flaming objects to get to her. The smoke was thick and it billowed up everywhere. It made him gag, but not as bad as the smell of rotting, melting flesh in the air around them. He could feel the sting of the flames as they brushed up against his clothes. They didn't ignite into flames, but that didn't stop them from getting scorched black and burning his flesh underneath.

As Rephaim made his way to her, he pulled his shirt up and over his mouth and nose. The sweat and the material would be enough to block out most of the toxins in the air. It stopped him from coughing as much, and his throat only had a slight burn to it now. It also made it slightly more difficult to breathe, muffling his inhales and exhales. He knew this was the safest way to get to Stevie Rae without putting himself in more danger than he already was in.

He thought back to the events of yesterday. It all seemed so unreal to him. It was only yesterday that he had to rush him and his brothers to school. It had only been yesterday when his geometry teacher had stumbled into his classroom and told him and the rest of his peers to run, pressing his hand firmly to the bloody bite mark on his arm. It had only been yesterday that he had lost his brothers. It had only been yesterday when he had gotten shot.

With a grimace, Rephaim shoved the depressing thoughts away. He wasn't going to think about them now. He had to save Stevie Rae. He had enough time to visit his guilt in his dreams. Right now, his main concern was Stevie Rae.

She had fallen to her knees, sobbing and patting away at the flames on her clothing. He could see the blisters and charred skin of where some of her clothes had crumbled away. Snot and tears coated her face, her blonde curls plastered to her head with sweat. She heard him approach her and she glanced up, her frightened blue eyes capturing him.

Without a thought, he stooped down, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, and helped her stand. It caused him intense pain and he had to bite his lip to keep from moaning. Some of the flames on her back lashed out, whipping him and leaving red bumps in its wake. He shifted her so she leaned on him heavily for support. At the slightest movement, Stevie Rae cried out in anguish.

"It hurts, Rephaim!" her voice shot out, ringing in his ear.

He ignored the sick twisting of his heart. "I know, Stevie Rae. Do not think about the pain. Think of something else."

"Like what? What the hell can I think about at a time like this?"

"I don't know." He moved his arm from around her shoulders to around her waist, shielding her back with most of his body. "What comforts you the most?

She took her time thinking about whatever it was. It slightly irritated him because something could happen to them at any minute, and if the flames didn't kill them the smoke would. Instead of letting it show or hustling her, Rephaim stayed quiet with his arm around her. At least she was standing.

"I like flowers and the way the ground smells after it rains. I like how the leaves look with the sun shinin' through them. I like how clean the grass smells after its mowed," she murmured in his ear. He barely heard her over the roar of the fire.

Rephaim nodded, tightening his arm around her as he began to drag her with him. "Think of the earth. Concentrate. Do not think about the fire and the smoke. Walk with me. Now!"

Swallowing back the pain of moving quickly, they both stumbled over the melting discarded possessions, their feet catching on some bigger things like the bookshelf. Rephaim managed to keep them both from crashing to the ground, pulling her closer to him until she was pressed against his side to keep her from getting free from him. Every now and then he would glance down at her and see her eyebrows knitted together and tears streaming down her face.

They made it to the window and Rephaim made sure he was the first out. He didn't want to leave her inside, but he knew he had to be there to help her down and steady her.

There was a loud crash from inside behind her. Fear coursed through his veins, causing his heart pace to pick up intensely. Rephaim turned to her, holding his arms up and out for her, hands ready. "Jump! Quickly!"

"I can't! I'll burn up." Her pain and panic was as clear in her voice as though it was him who was experiencing it.

"You will burn up if you stay here," he said firmly, locking eyes with her.

_**Zoey**_

"What the hell do you mean Zoey isn't gonna make it?" Stark shouted as Darius dropped the bomb on him.

We were parked on the sidewalk in front of a abandoned book store a little ways away from where we had picked up Tina - the little girl. Darius had decided to stop us here to unleash the lid of bad news onto us. I had been expecting it so I wasn't as phased as was the rest of the bus. It was heartbreaking to see the despair and hopelessness in the sweet faces of my dearest friends. They looked so concerned with me that it was all I could do not to cry.

I lifted my head off of Stark's shoulder, ignoring the dark red stain that coated the front of his shirt. "Darius, are you sure there is no possible way for us to stitch it up? There isn't a single First Aid Kit on this bus?"

I heard shouts of agreement from behind me, my questions rippling through our small group of friends like a rock dropped in a puddle. In the corner of my eye, I saw Damien wiping tears away as he fought to speak without crying. I gave him a sad smile. The movement caused pains to shoot up my spine, wrap around my chest, and tackle my head back onto Stark's shoulder. A few tears escaped from my eyes.

"I've already checked, but it appears as though someone has already taken it before we were able to reach the bus. Believe me, I am trying to find a solution to fix this, but my hands are tied." Darius looked down in sadness as Aphrodite took his hand.

"It's alright, handsome. We'll think of something." She patted his arm.

"I'm not gonna let Z die! Can't we just go find medical supplies?" Stark demanded, pulling me to him. The way his arms curled around me was reassuring as well as excruciatingly painful.

"We could, but the hospital is all the way across town." Darius shook his head sadly. "Zoey could be well on her way to be dead by the time we even get there and it will make the whole trip useless. Plus, it is a waste of gas to risk it. Not to mention that we will be drawing attention to ourselves."

I knew Darius was only trying to protect us, but each word of doubt was like an individual shot to the chest, to the heart. His words were filled with sorrow and utter regret, but I couldn't help but wonder if there was another way. I pulled up a mental picture of Henrietta, picturing where the closest drug store was. It was still a good few blocks away, and, like Darius said, we would definitely attract some hungry visitors.

"What about the school?" I perked up as I reached the conclusion.

"What about the school?" Aphrodite turned the question around.

"The Nurses' Office! Stevie Rae was rushing and I know for a fact that she couldn't have been able to stuff every useful thing in her bag. That girl likes to take things her way, whether or not she's being rushed. Maybe there's some things back at the school we can use. It's not far from here."

Everyone fell silent for a split second before cheering and agreeing enthusiastically. The noise was a lot to take on top of the dizziness from blood loss, the throbbing beat of my heart, and the pounding ache of my ribs.

Darius glanced at us all, staring at me with uncertainty. "I suppose we can try the school, but remember: there are some of your classmates who have turned. Do not be fooled into thinking otherwise. It could cost you your lives."

I knew he was talking to me. He meant those words for me specifically. He was referring to the possibility of Stevie Rae being part of the undead. I knew it was a high possibility, but I still couldn't convince myself that she wasn't coming back. Part of me missed her so badly that it hurt. It was hard to just drop your BFF that you've known since the second grade, especially when your world comes to an end.

I scooted closer to Stark, yearning for the gentle touch to ease some of the pain. It was all too much too fast. Part of me wondered if I was going to make it. The other didn't care.

What I really wanted at that moment was my best friend.

_**Stevie Rae**_

She met his kind, pain-filled eyes just as he said,"You will burn if you stay here."

Stevie Rae always thought that drowning would be the worst way to die, but she was wrong. Burning alive was. It was too hot. She just wanted to take off her skin like it was some kind of winter coat that she was wearing in the middle of July. She was slick and sticky with sweat. The smoke coated her lungs like concrete, making breathing difficult. The burns and blisters were the worst. The smallest breeze or touch sent tears streaming down her face and sobs rising in her throat.

Their was a crash of something collapsing and she couldn't imagine what it might be. Stevie Rae was too frozen in place to think. Her knees were locked, her legs shaking. Her fists balled up, her knuckles paling. Her teeth clenched, her jaw trembling. She was too overcome with fear of the truth of his words and the pain she was enduring to move. She knew Rephaim was right. It was obvious, but she felt reassured by the serious concern in his tone.

Something behind her fell from the ceiling, sending a wave of fiery embers onto her back. A wail of terror and dismay echoed around them, feeding the hungry tongues of fire.

"Take my hand!"

Squinting against the black smog, Stevie Rae glanced down and out the window. Rephaim had climbed back up and was sitting on the windowsill. One hand was stretched out towards her while the other grasped the ledge he was sitting on. He had a few burn marks on his arms, but they weren't as severe as the ones on her back and shoulders. With his arm, he knocked out the broken pieces of glass that still jutted out from the window frame as if to ensure that she wouldn't get hurt climbing out.

"Now, Stevie Rae. Do it!"

Nodding furiously, she coughed loudly, grasping his hand in hers. His fingers clung to hers, squeezing and tightening his grip. He jerked her to him, enveloping her in his one arm, and jumped carefully from the windowsill. It was only a few feet from the ground. They landed on their feet, fumbling and falling to the grass. The impact knocked the breath out of her, which wasn't hard since she barely had any to begin with.

The fresh gust of wind filled her lungs greedily. It felt so undeniably good. Her head felt light and some of the pressure on her chest loosened. Unfortunately, the fresh air didn't fix well with poisoned smoke. It was a good thing she felt it coming back or else she would've lost it all on Rephaim.

Stevie Rae flung herself forward, retching up the black haze remains. Most of it refused to leave her system. Her hands fisted the grass, pulling clumps out as she tried to get rid of the vile trash.

Gasping, she rolled away from the throw up, burying her nose into the ground. She inhaled the sweet smell, taking comfort in the soft green carpet. She was aware of Rephaim watching her, but she didn't care. Stevie Rae hurt everywhere. The burns were too much to handle. She felt weird. A little detached, almost like she was a ghost.

"Stevie Rae, we must move. They'll find us here and, next time, I doubt we'll be able to escape again." Rephaim stood shakily, rubbing his face.

"Where?" Her voice was almost unrecognizable to her own ears. She cleared her throat and tried again, only to fail and have no sound come out.

"Do not strain yourself. Save your strength." He looked down at her. "Do you have any suggestions?"

She shook her head. "How 'bout we find some place to rest for the rest of the night?"

They both glanced up at the sky, noting some signs of light gray brightening near the horizon.

* * *

**Yay! Yay! Oh, goodie! Zoey and everyone is going back to the school to get the 'leftover' medical supplies and Stevie Rae and Rephaim are somewhat safe! How was that for a good chapter? Did anyone appreciate how I threw in some lines from Tempted in there? Ta-da! *bows* Thank you...thank you... BY THE WAY! I am taking requests on the next story I should update next! Well, after I come up with Chapter 2 for Spring Break in Florida, I'll work on one of the ones you guys suggested in your reviews! Hope you liked it! Please review! **

**-RSR**


	9. Chapter 9

**I AM FREE! I FINISHED IT TODAY! THE NINTH CHAPTER! I ALMOST DIED WRITING THIS! I HOPE YOU LOVE ME FOR IT!**

**Special Thanks To:**

**SmilesSaveLives**

**kidazuniga143**

**Julia**

**and**

**NataONE**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the HON series!**

**Songs:**

_**Rephaim**_**: (POV 1) - Demons by Imagine Dragons (POV 2) - I Like by Jeremih ft. Ludacris**

_**Stevie Rae**_**: Because the Night by Cascada**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

_**Rephaim**_

_It is almost dawn_, he thought, relieved. _Today was probably the longest day I have ever endured,_ _and that is saying a lot_.

Tired and defeated, Rephaim looked over at Stevie Rae. She was curled up in a ball, snuggling into the grass. Her eyes were closed and she appeared almost peaceful after all they'd went through moments ago. Her clothes were covered with scorch marks and soot, some layers of her skin clinging to them. She looked so...tattered and lost, but still innocent and full of life all the same.

She was impressive. He was surprised at how well she handled under pressure. Her plan to set the Nurses' Office on fire was brilliant. Risky, but brilliant nonetheless. He hadn't been expecting that out of her. She had been so gentle when she'd taken care of him. Even now he could hardly believe that she had caused something as destructible as an out of control fire.

_And to think that it was only to save us_. Rephaim chuckled lightly, wincing at the motion. Another adrenaline rush and another round of pain. Of course. What else was he expecting? Did he honestly expect to heal so quickly after everything he's been through? _No, although the idea doesn't sound all that bad_...

Rolling his eyes at himself, he shook his head, glancing back at Stevie Rae. A jolt of shock went through him. Her eyes were closed. Her face was smooth from peace and relief. Her breathing was deep and slow.

Panicked, Rephaim dove next to her side. "Stevie Rae! Stevie Rae, wake up!" he murmured frantically. Not too loud to draw more zombies to them, but loud enough so that she could hear the urgency in his voice. He placed a hand on her shoulder, not caring about the angry red blisters, and shook her.

What if she didn't wake up? What would he do then? No. She was going to wake up. Even if she didn't, where would he go? Would he go back to searching for his traitorous brothers, or go as low as trying to reach his father? _No_. He wouldn't even dare speaking to his father. No matter if he was his last living family member. Rephaim refused.

"Stevie Rae, please. You must wake-"

She sat up quickly, beating his hand away. She continued to hit him, squeezing her eyes shut as she did. "Get away! Get away! Get _away_!"

For a moment, Rephaim was frozen. Frozen in shock at how hard she was hitting him, and relief at her being awake and very active. Then he realized that she was screaming quite loudly.

"Stevie Rae, shh! Shh! It is just me." Rephaim took her wrists in his hands, but she continued to struggle against him. "It's me, Rephaim. Stevie Rae, please stop!"

"No! I won't! I won't let you! _Get_-" His hand covered her mouth, just like it had once before, cutting off her frantic screams. For some reason that was strange to him, he didn't want to have to do this, but she'd left him no other choice. He especially didn't want to have to press his hand even more firmly against her lips, but Stevie Rae began to thrash.

He struggled with her, begging her to be silent and to be still. All of her rapid gestures was going to cause her severe agony from her burn wounds if she didn't stop. Whatever it was she had been dreaming about - and Rephaim had a pretty good idea about what it might've been - it obviously terrified her beyond belief.

Slowly, Stevie Rae began to calm down. Her legs stopped kicking aimlessly at the ground, her arms quit trying to swing at him, and her head stopped whipping side to side in denial. Her eyes opened. Rephaim never saw someone look so broken.

Carefully, he let his hand slip away, his fingers trailing down the side of her face. "Are you better now?" he asked her quietly.

She nodded. "I'm sorry for hittin' you and screamin'. I-I was having a nightmare."

"I know." Rephaim waited for a long time, just staring at her. She didn't break her gaze from him. "I think I know of a place we might be able to rest for the time being. That is if it's still there."

Stevie Rae gave him a puzzled look, but didn't say anything. He stood with a small ounce of difficulty, holding out his hand to her. To their surprise, she took it almost eagerly.

_**Stevie Rae**_

They walked as silently as either of them could manage; both of them were injured and clumsy. It was hard for them to breathe without panting loudly like exhausted dogs and attracting attention to themselves. They stuck close to the shadows of the building, but far away enough not to inhale too much of the smoke that was continuing to billow out of the broken windows.

She kinda felt bad. She completely destroyed the Nurses' Office both times she visited that day. Both times she had a mob of zombies on her butt. It also didn't help that they had managed to get into the office with her the last time. She just sorta reacted without thinking, on instinct. It wasn't something you could actually think about. It just happened.

_Like Rephaim_, she thought. _Wait. What?_

It was true as much as she didn't want to admit it. She'd only been trying to meet up with Zoey and the others at the corner where Aphrodite and Darius had been waiting for them. She hadn't expected to run into him. Now that she thought back to it, she couldn't even come up with a reason on why she'd saved him. It just happened. Instinct had taken over. No. It had been far more deeper and foreign than instinct.

Then what had it been?

_Nope_, she ended her thoughts abruptly. _We are so not doing this right now. You have a boyfriend, and you don't even know this guy. What if all those rumors are true? Then what? _

_Then nothing. You won't do anything. It isn't like you like him anyway. You just so happened to save his behind when he was almost dead. It isn't like you have to automatically like him. You just saved his life. The end. He just saved yours. The end. Nothin' to it. Just a simple saving stranger/saving kind stranger situation. Nothing deeper than that_.

Little did Stevie Rae know that she couldn't have been more wrong.

"So, Rephaim," she said out of the blue, breaking the nice silence between them. "Where all are ya takin' me anyway?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him as he scratched the back of his neck casually. "If it is still here, I plan on just taking us back to my car. It isn't much, but we know that it isn't zombie infested. Also, it will provide us some protection as we sleep."

She knew what she was about to say was stupid. She always tended to say stupid things when she was surprised.

"You have a car?"

He turned his full attention onto her. His expression seemed all around offended. "Of course. I am eighteen, Stevie Rae. How else am I suppose to get to the places I wanted to go? You didn't honestly think that I walked everywhere I went did you?"

Embarrassed, Stevie Rae ducked her head, ignoring the stabbing pain of the jerking motion. Her face felt as hot as the fire. "N-no! Not walked, but maybe took a bus?"

"A bus?" He shook his head, suppressing a smile. "No, absolutely not. Buses are only a last option in emergencies."

_A bus_..._emergency_... Stevie Rae felt the stirrings of a new question in her stomach. She didn't want to ask, but she felt it forcing itself out of her mouth. She knew it was an invasion of privacy and she didn't like feeling like a prying nuisance. Somehow, none of this seemed to matter.

"Hey, Rephaim?" Stevie Rae bit her lip anxiously. "I gotta question, but it's kinda personal. Do you mind if I ask ya?"

His dark brown eyes met hers, stunning her wordlessly. "I suppose, but it's whether or not it is too personal that I will answer it."

She nodded at this. "That's fair. Okay, well, um... H-how did you...get shot? Ya know, like how did you end up how I found ya?"

"That isn't that bad of a question, Stevie Rae. Actually, I was on my way towards a bus when it happened. I was trying to get to it so I could find my brothers. We had gotten separated and I'd grown worried. I was almost there, too. I'd only been a few feet away from it when someone pulled a trigger. A couple ran up and climbed in, talking about meeting their friends at the corner of St. Paul Avenue and Lafayette Street. By the way the girl reacted, it was obvious that they hadn't meant to shoot me."

The whole time he spoke she listened to each word. As she did, a pit of dread began to twist and turn with each spoken word. When he mentioned the couple who had shot him, it felt like Stevie Rae had been punched in the gut.

So it had been Darius' gun that she had heard when she was escaping the Nurses' Office the first time. Unfortunately, it had been Rephaim that he'd shot and not a zombie. What shocked her was how they had left him for dead instead of helping him. It was Darius' fault that he was almost killed. Whenever she met up with them again - if she ever did - she was going to have a long, stern talk with him.

That said, Stevie Rae felt a brush of sadness. What if she never saw Zoey and the rest of her friends again? Worse, what if she did and they shunned her for saving Rephaim? After all, there was all of those rumors of him getting into fights and sleeping around with the skanky girls. What if those were true and Z found out she saved him by risking her own life for him? Rephaim didn't seem like that kind of guy to do any of those things, but looks could be deceiving. Right?

"This is it," Rephaim said, snapping her out of her inner turmoil. "It should be enough to keep us safe for the rest of the night."

She noticed that they were in the parking lot on the other side of the school, opposite of the one she had found him in. Many cars occupied the rectangular spots, and many dead bodies occupied the pavement. They'd walked a little ways down one row and came to a stop behind a sleek black car. The windows were tinted and there was only a few scratch marks on the side made by fingernails. They gave Stevie Rae chills.

He easily opened the driver side door that had been unlocked and reached over to the other side, unlocking the passenger side. Stevie Rae walked around to the other side and was halfway there when he opened it for her from inside. She met his eyes for a split second before he quietly closed his door. It made the smallest _click! _noise, and even that was muffled.

Stevie Rae slowly slid herself in, careful of the burns on her back, and copied him, closing her door silently. The seats were a beige leather and the interior of the car was clean. She could smell the faint scent different colognes mingling in the air. It wasn't strong enough to make her sneeze and the different smells complimented each other, soothing the throbbing in her temples.

She felt so out of place inside of his car, yet right at home. She was so dirty and filthy compared to the spotless seats and floors. Her limbs were sweaty and blistered, her back charred and stinging. She was gross, even after all her hard work at scrubbing herself clean in the sink. But, at the same time, she felt safe and accepted. Like she was allowed to cross a barrier that everyone else was denied access to. It was comforting.

Stevie Rae hadn't realized she had closed her eyes when she felt someone staring at her. She had a general idea of who it could be. Still, she was careful not to alert him and slowly lifted her eyelids. He didn't look away like she expected him to. Instead, he locked his eyes with hers, not letting her look away. Not that she didn't want to. Why would she? He had pretty eyes and they were nice to look at. Plus, he just saved her life. He wasn't a threat to her, either.

"We need to look at your burns," Rephaim murmured, breaking eye contact with her. He left her feeling empty and lost. "There is a First Aid Kit under your seat in the compartment. It seems like we forgot your bag of supplies in the Nurses' Office."

Stevie Rae reached under her seat with a dissatisfied sigh. Her hand reach around until she felt her fingers slip under a handle. Hesitantly, she pulled, feeling it slide out easily. Her eyes glanced downward spotting the kit immediately along with napkins and wipes. She pulled the kit out and pushed the drawer back in.

"You hafta close your eyes 'cause I gotta take my shirt off to do this," Stevie Rae told him sternly.

_**Rephaim**_

"Why don't you just let me help you?" He could barely finish the question without a smirk. She was being ridiculous. It would be a woman who would be so modest at times like these. Although he usually found it typical, he couldn't stop himself from finding it cute on her.

"No." She shook her head, her curls bouncing almost angrily. "I can do this myself. Now turn around and close your eyes. I don't want you peekin'."

"I have no intentions on peeking on you anyway." He had meant the comment to reassure her, but instead it seemed to completely offend her.

"Are you saying I'm not pretty?" She placed her hands on her hips, setting him with a glare.

His cheeks heated up instantly. "No! I never said that, nor was I implying it. I just simply meant that I respect you enough not to peek. That is all."

Her face was wiped clean of the sings of irritation and anger. A small smile worked its way on her face. "Okay, I guess I'll forgive you. Still, turn around and close your eyes."

Sighing, Rephaim did as she said. As he covered his eyes with his fingers, it occured to him that he was allowing a petite girl to boss him around. The thought struck him as odd, but it felt right somehow. He didn't know why; it just did. Maybe it was because she was treating him like any other person in her life. Most girls either fawned over him or feared him. Both kept their distance just the same.

Rephaim liked the idea of being treated normal. It made him feel comfortable. It was a feeling he had forgotten about long ago, back when he was still living with his father. Back then, him and his brothers didn't know much about the light and warm feelings like happiness or just feeling content. Their lives had been filled with despair and dread, sometimes fear and anger. Especially Rephaim. He had always been filled with dread and anger, but not anymore.

Since he had left his father with a few of his brothers, he had begun to feel those nice emotions again. Joy, content, happiness. Rephaim had missed them. His world had grown so cold and dark since his mother's death that he had forgotten how pure they felt. It all had seemed to settle down and turn for the good when they transferred to Henrietta. Some secrets of his past somehow got leaked out at the school, making his and his brothers' lives miserable all over again. He had a feeling it had been his father's doing.

"Rephaim, can you help me?" Stevie Rae asked him hesitantly.

He turned to see her back to him. Her back was bare, her shirt laid across her lap, her bra unlatched and hanging at the crooks of her elbows. His face ignited at the sight and he had to drag his eyes up and meet her gaze. She was blushing, too, but she looked more upset. More in pain.

"What is it?" he asked her. It took everything in him to keep his voice steady.

"I-I can't reach my back. I'm only able to get my arms." She turned her head away, hiding her embarrassment. Her hand shoved itself in his face, suggesting him to take the tube of Blister Treatment. He took it, glancing at her back. It was only slightly darker than her arms, which was a good sign. Maybe she hadn't gotten as badly burnt as he had thought. That saved him from worrying extensively over her health.

"We should put water on it first. Water draws out the heat and sting the burns, Stevie Rae. Luckily for you, I have a water bottle in here from this morning." Rephaim set the tube down on the seat, grabbing the half empty water bottle from the cup holder. Without blinking, Rephaim ripped a stand of his shirt tail off and soaked it in water, ignoring how some of the water spilled onto the floor. He gently began to dab the burns. Stevie Rae squirmed, whimpering every now and then.

"I know it hurts, but it is necessary," he said quietly. He searched through the kit and found a packet of antibacterial wipes. Rephaim knew a few things about cleaning up wounds and bandaging them. He had to when they were still living with their father. He was often the one they went to when Father got too drunk and would forget to set the bottle down before beating his sons.

With precise movements, he began to press the alcohol wipes against the burns, hoping to clean out any of the soot and ash that had gotten stuck inside her popped blisters. Stevie Rae was quiet the whole time, trembling slightly to hold back the sobs. Once he was sure that he had cleaned them thoroughly, Rephaim returned to the cream she had given him. Smearing some on his fingers, he smoothly ran his fingertips over the damaged skin of her back. He heard her sigh gratefully in relief, leaning back into him.

"Stevie Rae, you need to sit up if I am to get your whole back."

Her tired blue eyes looked up at him. Her blonde curls were dirty and matted, but that didn't stop them from looking incredibly soft. Her cheeks were painted a soft pink, almost as pink as her arms. She looked so relaxed and carefree that Rephaim had forgotten what they were doing.

Something stirred in his chest, somewhere deep down inside him fluttered nervously. He wasn't used to the feeling. It was something foreign and unfamiliar to him. He knew what it was; he was just surprised by it. His father always talked about it whenever he brought a woman home and she left the next day, never coming back. He said it was lust, passion, attraction.

Rephaim wanted to deny it. He couldn't be attracted to Stevie Rae. She was just a girl who saved him and he saved in return. He couldn't form feelings such as these towards anyone. It wasn't possible for him. It would hurt the other and hurt himself. Especially now. Especially with the undead walking around and eating the living and turning them into part of their growing numbers.

However, all of this was running through his mind, but Rephaim could stop himself. He was too caught up in the moment. She was too close and too exposed. He was so alone and desperate. She was something he dreamed of, something he yearned for everyday. If it had been any other day, he would have stopped himself, but it wasn't. He was too high on adrenaline and pain to think clearly.

Rephaim moved his cream-coated fingers up to her blushing face, caressing her cheek slowly. She reacted instantly, her body turning and facing him. His heart jumped in his throat in excitement. He could see the perfect pout of her lips bellow his. What only made it worse was that Stevie Rae was getting closer, and closer, and closer...

With a strained cry, Rephaim pulled her to him, crashing his lips down to hers.

* * *

**There! I am done for the night! Please review! Hope you enjoyed!**

**-RSR**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yay! I got it done today! It came a little later than some would've like it to, and I apologize:) I finished it though and I think it's a decent chapter:D I'll give you guys a head's up though. I have evil plans for later... ;} MWUAHAHA!**

**Special Thanks To:**

**NataONE**

**SmilesSaveLives**

**and**

**Juliana Rose - Ikr? Suspenseful:) I agree with you 100%, they totally are!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the HON series!**

**Songs:**

_**Zoey**_**: (POV 1) - Paradise by Cold Play (POV 2) - Rolling in the Deep by Adele**

_**Rephaim**_**: Glad You Came by the Wanted**

_**Stevie Rae**_**: Monster by Lady Gaga**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_**Zoey**_

"Is that smoke?" Damien asked, leaning forwards in his seat.

Automatically, every kid on the bus did the same, peering through the windshield in front of them. Sure enough, there was big, black puffs of smoke billowing up from somewhere beyond the powerlines and buildings. I was surpised we hadn't noticed earlier. It was thick enough to be seen across town. The sky was brighter now, lightening into a pale shade of gray and light pink.

"You don't think that," Shaunee began.

"It's at the school," Erin continued.

"Do you?" they finished together, both equally worried.

"It look like it," Kramisha perked up from the back of the bus. She had been quiet the whole ride. I wouldn't blame her if she crashed the moment her butt touched the seat. Hell, I was exhausted.

"We can't think about that now. We will know when we get there," Darius said, silencing all of us.

As he said those words, I realized how weird my body felt. It was strange. The closer we got to the school, the more my skin began to prickle as though my whole body fell asleep. I was shivering from the heat of my own blood. The back of my head was throbbing painfully and my ribs stung with each breath intake. It was hard to see straight so I kept my eyes closed until told otherwise.

I laid in Stark's arms, soaking his front with blood. I knew that I should feel bad - that I should feel guilty - but I couldn't find it in me. I could barely find it in me to stay awake. Somehow I knew that if I feel asleep, I wasn't going to wake up.

The bus rocked and jumped over each pothole, making me flop around on Stark like a fish. There was an almost soothing buzz of whispers that filled the bus. I heard the faint rumbling of the bus engine, but that was it. No matter how hard I strained my ears, they couldn't pick up anything else. There was an occasional scream for help that always made us all jump.

It creeped me out, knowing how many people could've died today. It was a depressing thought and shifted my attention over to Stevie Rae.

She could be at the school still, right? That was a possibility. Darius didn't know if she was a zombie now, and I didn't know if she was dead. She could still be alive for all we knew. What if she was hiding out until the coast was clear? It sounded like a Stevie Rae thing to do. Plus, she was smart and knew how to take care of herself. Maybe she was still alive.

All I had to do was take the _maybe_ out of that thought, and I'd been exactly right.

I felt the speed of the bus slow considerably, turning left carefully. Every now and then I could feel a shift in the speed and us swerving around corners. I loved falling asleep in vehicles as a kid. It was soothing - still soothing. It always made me think about boats. I was only ever on a few boats as a kid and they made similar jerks as cars and trucks. Maybe I could slip away... Just relax the muscles in my body and let go... It was really simple. All I had to do was take a deep breath and-

"It _is_ the school," I heard Stark say in disbelief.

Questioning, I glanced up at him, opening my eyes, and turned my head from his chest. I hadn't noticed that we'd stopped and were parked in the parking lot closest to the gate. It was on the opposite side of the Nurses' Office, which meant that we were going to have to walk very carefully.

"We aren't we parked on the other side?" I spoke up, my voice scratchy from the pain in my ribcage.

Darius turned to me. "Sadly, yes. The number of the undead is much larger on the opposite side. It looks as though we must enter through the school if we are to be able to get to the Nurses' Office. It is risky to walk, but I'm afraid we don't have many options."

"I can take it. We just can't go too fast, 'kay?" I pushed myself up, standing. Stark was there instantly, gripping my elbow which helped a lot. We all began to walk down the aisle while Darius opened the doors. I held everyone up, clinging desperately to the railing.

I had just stepped down onto the pavement when I heard a car close by honk.

_**Rephaim**_

_Stop! _his mind screamed at him. _What are you doing? She doesn't even know you! Now there is no way she'll let you stay with her! Idiot!_

Rephaim froze. He could feel her surprise beneath him, her muscles tense. He couldn't believe what he just did. He didn't usually act this irrationally. What was wrong with him? A lot was wrong with him, that he knew. He couldn't understand why he did what he just did. All he knew was that he didn't want to pull away, and he didn't want her to leave him.

Very carefully, as if not wanting to startle him, he felt the unmistakable movement against his lips. Was she kissing him back? It felt like she was. Her mouth moved up, her lips pressing back against his softly. It was hard for him not join her.

His grip on her arms loosened, but tightened only to pull her closer. He wanted her close to him. Though he's only known her for a day, Rephaim couldn't bear the thought of her leaving. They've been through so much in such little time. Of course, he knew that they could never be, but that didn't mean they couldn't be allies. He wouldn't allow anything more to happen between them. He's done too much harm to others to let himself get close to anyone anymore. He didn't do anything bad anymore, but that didn't erase what he had done. Plus, what good would it do to get close to someone during these times? That person could die at any random moment.

He knew he should pull away and act like nothing had happened. He knew he should pull away and help her with her wounds. He knew that he shouldn't be risking their lives with something as useless as a kiss. But, somehow, Rephaim didn't care. He didn't want to stop.

And he didn't.

His hands moved up her arms, careful of her burns, up her neck to cradle her face. His fingers stretched out to her hair, twirling the curls until they were tightly spun. Rephaim could feel his anxious nerves calm as he relaxed into her, taking control. It was nice. He was finally allowing himself to feel, to release all of those built up emotions that he's kept in for so long. It was like a tight knot was slowly unwinding from deep inside.

Stevie Rae rested her hands on his shoulders, running her fingers up and down the lengths of his arms. She didn't seem to want to stop either. In fact, she was encouraging him, leaning farther into him.

It thrilled him, being this close to someone else. Sure, he's been with other girls before. He's kissed them and much more, but never before had it ever felt like this.

His emotions were as high as the clouds, touching the new dawn sky. Eager, Rephaim withdrew a hand from her face and pushed himself closer to her.

Little did he realize that his hand had rested in the center of the steering wheel.

A loud honk exploded out of his car from the pressure of his hand, jolting through them. His grip slipped and he fell on top of her, pushing her against the door. Luckily, he'd gotten enough of her bare back with the cream, causing the skin to feel cool and numb, blocking out the pain from intruding her.

They were still and silent, more than slightly breathless. Their eyes locked and Rephaim noticed a faint blush in her cheeks, along with an awkward expression. At first he didn't understand. It took him a moment to realize he was pinning her down and her chest was almost completely exposed.

Swallowing, Rephaim pulled back, turning around so she could dress herself. He tried not to think about what had happened while he stared out the window. Instead, he let himself get distracted by the familiar school bus and new group of students.

_**Zoey**_

The sound echoed around us, shocking us completely. A car honk. It was close by, too. So close that it sounded like it was in this parking lot.

"What was that?" I asked immediately. I could feel hope surfacing deep inside me.

"Only a car. Let's go." Stark started leading me forwards, towards the Nurses' Office.

I knew I should go with him. I was losing blood and if I lost too much, I was done for. I started to when a thought hit me. Only a person could've honked a horn. A zombie couldn't have done it. Someone else was alive in a car in this parking lot.

That someone could be Stevie Rae.

I planted my heels in the asphalt, coming to an automatic stop. "No, someone's here. We gotta help them."

"Don't you think we've helped enough?" His voice was a little sharper than I'd expected.

"No, I don't. We need everyone we can get," I snapped back. Did he not understand how many people could've died and that we all need to stick together if we're able to survive this?

"Zoey," he said exasperated,"we can't go around risking our lives for someone we don't even know!"

"You don't know for sure that we don't know who that is," I was surprised by how firm and sure I sounded.

"It isn't her, Z. She's gone. It was obvious when she didn't show up at the corner," I heard Shaunee say softly behind me.

"We miss her, too," Erin commented also.

I knew who they were referring to. They knew who I was implying on it being. Somehow, though, I couldn't say her name. It was too hard for me without breaking down.

"It could be. We never found her, dead or alive. You guys don't know that."

No one said anything. They didn't have to. They knew I was right yet I could feel their doubt. I could understand why. After all that's happened in one day, I'd be surprised if we made it the rest of the week together, or however long this was going to take before it blew over. I couldn't imagine being on my own in this kind of position. It seems unlikely that anyone would still be alive.

But I had hope.

"I don't care. It won't hurt to look." I turned around to figure out which car it might've came from before setting off to look for whoever it was.

A grabbed my wrist, preventing me from venturing forwards. "Zoey, you are losing blood. You are risking your life when it isn't necessary."

"It is too necessary! We have to look!" I shouted desperately. I couldn't understand why all of them were so dead against it.

"You didn't let me finish," Darius sighed. "I will have someone check the parking lot. Meanwhile, you and I are heading to the Nurses' Office. You need that wound stitched up quickly."

We started walking, but I stopped us again. "Who's going to look?"

"Oh, for shit's sake. Me and bowboy will check for you. Jesus, just got get your damn head sewn up and we'll check for bumpkin or whoever the fuck it is. God, just go already," Aphrodite spoke up. She sounded concerned and irritated at the same time. Sometimes I wondered if she had a double personality.

"But I want-" I began, but was quickly cut off by someone I thought I'd never see again.

**_Stevie Rae_**

"Do you know who they are?" Rephaim asked suddenly.

Stevie Rae had been adjusting her bra and t-shirt until they rest somewhat comfortably on her back. She was still a little breathless and flustered from Rephaim's kiss. He, on the other hand, looked completely unphased. That was besides his messy hair.

"Huh?" she said brilliantly, glancing up at him. His eyes were fixated on something outside. A ray of sunshine was peeking through the gray and pink clouds, catching his face perfectly. She was stunned by how easily she was taken by him.

He looked back at her over his shoulder. His eyes remained on hers for a few moments before he pointed out the window. "There. Do you know them?"

Stevie Rae followed his finger with her eyes. She froze. She saw all of her friends standing in front of a school bus. Her eyes scanned over the group, catching each face and expression. Zoey looked awful; her face was worn out and she looked as though she was going to have one of her sobbing-snot fits. Stark had blood all over his shirt and he looked frustrated, as did Darius. She felt a small sliver of anger at the sight of Darius, remembering what Rephaim had told her. Aphrodite and the Twins were standing close to each other, which shocked the hell out of her. They didn't like each other enough to even say decent things to one another. Kramisha was leaning against the bus with a strange little girl at her side.

Then she saw Dallas.

_Oh, shit_, Stevie Rae thought. Guilt slammed into her instantly. She had completely forgotten about Dallas. How could she'd been so stupid? She had a boyfriend and she let Rephaim kiss her! And she kissed back! She let Rephaim see her in just her bra and rub her back! What was wrong with her? She just met him for crying out loud!

Stevie Rae flinched. _Well, he was helpin' me put the cream on my burns. How else was he suppose to get to my back without takin' my shirt off anyway? Plus, I was taken by surprise. It wasn't like I kissed him first_...

No matter what her argument was, she was still drowning in guilt. But not regret. For some reason, she didn't regret kissing Rephaim. That was why she embraced him even though she knew it was wrong. Especially wrong since Dallas was her boyfriend and Rephaim had all of those rumors about him floating around. Not that rumors mattered anymore.

"Yeah, those are my friends," Stevie Rae spoke up, ending her inner dilemma. "I kinda forgot to tell you that I'm friends with the guy who shot you, and that..." she hesitated. _C'mon, Stevie Rae! He has to know! _"I have a boyfriend."

"What?" he exclaimed, looking completely guilt-stricken.

_Yup, I know. I'm disgusting_, Stevie Rae thought cruelly at herself. _I just basically cheated on the sweetest boyfriend_.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" His eyes bored into her.

"Tell ya what? That I had a boyfriend, or that I'm friends with Darius?" she asked, playing clueless. She was trying to by herself some time for a reasonable explanation.

"That you have a boyfriend."

_Knew it_. "Well, it didn't seem to matter at the time when we were fightin' for our lives."

"I wasn't talking about then and you know it."

"How am I suppose to know when you were gonna kiss me? I saw no signals whatsoever." Stevie Rae glanced away, her eyes training on her group of friends as they talked.

"Maybe you should learn how to read body language, Stevie Rae," Rephaim said with a sigh. He turned again, resting a hand on the door. "We should go meet up with them. They look like they may need our help."

_Do you want me to die? _Stevie Rae asked him mentally. _Sure, let's just go on ahead and tell my boyfriend that I just made out with the school's most dangerous student. That looks like it'll end up super_.

"Are ya sure? You don't hafta come with me if you don't want to," she said honestly. She didn't want to drag him around if he didn't want to stay with her.

He glanced at her in surprise. "I want to. I have no where else to go. My brothers vanished and I have nothing to do with my father."

"Why not?" Stevie Rae asked, interested.

Rephaim shrugged, shaking his head. He looked away. "It's a long story."

She nodded. "Okay. Maybe another time."

"Maybe," he mumbled quietly. A shadow passed over his face.

Stevie Rae opened the door, standing up. It was warming up, if only slightly. The few rays of sunshine irritated her burns. She could make out the smoke rising from the other side of the school where the Nurses' Office was. She took out her phone from her pocket, reading the time. It was almost six o'clock.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Rephaim open the door and step out as well. He winced, holding himself up by the roof of the car. From all the way across the parking lot, Stevie Rae could make out her friends' voices clearly. Which wasn't a good sign.

"It is too necessary! We have to look!" Zoey cried, pleading Darius.

Darius must have said something to her to get her to calm down because they started off towards the school.

Zoey came to an abrupt stop. "Who's going to look?"

"Oh, for shit's sake. Me and bowboy will check for you. Jesus, just got get your damn head sewn up and we'll check for bumpkin or whoever the fuck it is. God, just go already," Aphrodite stated, throwing her hands up.

That was when Stevie Rae couldn't take it anymore. She missed her friends even if she did have Rephaim. She's known them back since grade school. They played a huge role in her life. They were part of her family. There was no way she could live without them, especially not now.

Especially not now.

Curling an arm around Rephaim's waist to help him walk, Stevie Rae began stumbling across the parking lot. With each step, she began to move faster, dragging him with her. He felt stiff and reluctant in her arms, but he continued with her and her quickening pace.

Zoey was opening her mouth and saying something when Stevie Rae shouted,"Zoey!"

* * *

**TA-DA! Chapter 10! What's gonna happen to them all now? Is there a chance that Stevie Rae and Rephaim will get together? Will Dallas find out about that kiss? How will he react to them? What happened between Rephaim and his dad? Only I know until the next chapter! :) (Okay, that's a lie. I've got me some thinking time to do.) Please review! Hope you liked the chapter!**

**-RSR**


	11. Chapter 11

**Just so ya know, this would've been up earlier had I not been out of town for the weekend:D Instead of it being fun (it still was!), it was stressful and overwhelming. My dad had to go to the hospital yesterday due to his problems with high blood pressure. Plus, you would NOT believe the stupid crowd of people that practically ****_SWARMED_**** us to see what was going on. It was nothing too major, though, so no worries! He's better now, but it was still a lot to take in all at once. . **

**Special Thanks To:**

**Juliana Rose - I know:) But I had to have ****_some_**** way in alerting Z and the others of their presence! Haha:D Yes, indeed, a great girlfriend! I don't blame you though. Rephaim is pretty nice;) I'm still working out all the kinks and flaws that might be issued with his past so I'm still a little hesitant on when I'm gonna squeeze it in.**

**and **

**SmilesSaveLives**

***Requested by Smiley!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the HON series!**

**Songs:**

_**Zoey**_**: Stop and Stare by One Republic**

_**Rephaim**_**: Burn by Usher**

_**Stevie Rae**_**: Behind These Hazel Eyes by Kelly Clarkson**

**(Okay, I know that Stevie Rae has blue eyes, but I like this song c:)**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

_**Zoey**_

"Zoey!"

My bundle of frustrated and furious nerves loosened at the sound of a sweet and joyous voice that dripped with a heavy Okie accent. My heart stopped in fear of it just being a hallucination brought on by loss of blood. I couldn't bring myself to lift my head and gawk at who everyone was staring at. I already knew who it was.

"Stevie Rae?" I heard Dallas ask hopefully. Among the shocked and delighted gasps and the sounds of heavy feet pounding, he was the only voice I'd heard. Everyone else must've been stunned into silence.

Before I raised my head to meet those familiar blue eyes, a cold shiver ran up my spine, signaling danger signals all throughout my damaged, numb body. My gut churned painfully, not agreeing with the excitement in my chest.

I glanced up, but not at Stevie Rae, my BFF, but at Dallas. Aside from Stark, Aphrodite, and Darius, he was the closest to me. I hadn't been prepared for what I saw. His expression was the total and complete opposite of what I had pictured in my happy-fogged mind. His usually sweet features were twisted into something that shocked the poo outta me.

His eyes were darker, flooded with concerned tears that he was obviously holding back. His mouth was set into a angry, grim line. I could make out the muscle movements in his cheeks and knew that he must've been clenching his teeth together. His jaw was set and rigid.

The others around me weren't as agitated, but just as wary. My bad feeling that was trying to quench my happiness finally reigned dominance. What could make them feel this way when one of our best friends just came back to us?

Slowly, I slid my eyes away from my BFF's boyfriend and focused on her. A grateful sob worked its way out of me when my eyes landed on her. She looked so happy to us! She was okay and safe! Well, as okay as she could be. Her shirt had many black burn holes in it, especially around her arms and shoulders. She was splattered with blood, both zombie and human. Her cheeks were especially pink, but I just assumed that was from the speed and pressure she was putting on herself. Her eyes drank in every single one of us enthusiastically.

I missed her so much, it was easy for me to momentarily block out the person she was clinging to. Blinking back tears, I hastily began to shove and push past all of our staring friends. I could feel Stark's concerned and guarded gaze on my back, but I shrugged it off. I don't care if I was risking the possibility of passing out and hitting my head on the asphalt (again). I needed to see if she was actually there - if she was actually alive and in front of us. I needed the reassurance that I had my best friend back.

"Stevie Rae!" I cried, tears squeezing out of the corners of my eyes. I stumbled and lunged myself at her. She caught me, thankfully, but would've fallen had it not been for the person she was hooked to. Her feet slipped, her arm tightening around him. He snaked an arm out and around her waist and helped her level out our weight equally and let her go, stepping away from us and leaning against a beat up car.

"Ohmygood_ness_, Z! I've missed y'all so much!" I felt her whisper in my ear. "You have absolutely no idea what I've been through."

I threw a small glance over my shoulder at him, noting that there was a light coat of sweat beading on his skin. "I've noticed."

I felt her stiffen slightly in my arms at what I was implying. "Yeah, about that-"

"Stop," I cut her off, pulling back to give her a somewhat cautious smile. I didn't mean it, and I tried to make it seem more trusting, but she already saw it. I knew I probably hurt her feelings so I opened my mouth. "I understand; you can explain later."

"We need to head to the Nurses' Office if we plan on bettering our chances on Zoey surviving," Darius spoke up, saying exactly what I was about to say.

I was expecting Stevie Rae to worry about me being hurt, and I was right. But I wasn't expecting him to speak up so clearly like he did.

"Survivin'? Z, are you okay? What happened?" Stevie Rae asked, scanning me over.

At the same time, Rephaim locked eyes with Darius and said,"Can't. We set the Nurses' Office on fire."

_**Rephaim**_

The instant him and Stevie Rae came into view and their eyes trained on them, Rephaim felt the first wave of rejection. It was to be expected after all of the rumors they probably heard back when school actually mattered. Most of them had a ring of truth to them, some were slightly exaggerated. Either way, Rephaim knew that if he was going to stay with Stevie Rae, he was going to have to get real used to not feeling as though he belonged.

It wasn't a new feeling to him, feeling out of place. He was quite used to it. Funny how out of all the years he's been shunned, cast aside, and has been turned on that he was still hurt by the painful emotion. Maybe it was the sudden warm greeting of Stevie Rae's kindness that whisked away the familiarity of it all. After all, she'd risked her life to save his life over hers and heal him. He had asked the complete opposite of her, but she had went to the extent of ignoring him and doing otherwise.

It was weird, her doing so and not really having so much of a reason to. He hadn't talked to her in school or outside of it. He's seen her a few times in the hall, but he didn't think much of it. When he did, he was usually trying to find his brothers to head home.

Rephaim didn't know what to think of her. He also didn't know what to think about the emotions she introduced him to since he's met her. Acceptance, compassion. There was another one, too. One that he didn't really care to find a name for. It was something new and not at all enjoyable. It was itchy and annoying, seething within him underneath his wounds. He felt it when she had mentioned having a boyfriend after he kissed her. His father had spoke of it a few times in his fits of sudden anger, blaming the universe and whatever existing god that ruined his life.

Jealousy.

Rephaim cringed, allowing it to show. Anyone watching him would've passed it off as a wince of pain. He leaned into Stevie Rae's helping arm, gingerly letting her do the same as they made their way towards her glaring group of friends. All of them had different expressions, some more similar to others. Instantly, he saw the one that had shot him and left him for dead, along with the girl he had been with.

He also saw Damien, one of the few people he actually recognized out of all of them. He had a class with the boy, Literature. He was often taken aback by the boy's advanced intelligence. He liked to hear him speak as he extracted bits and pieces of a sentence and deciphered the hidden message within each word. It was amazing how effortless and flawlessly he did so.

Then he noticed Zoey. He's heard about her a few times. It was always from gossipy, air-headed girls that bothered to hang around him in hoping to catch his attention. He would catch a few things they would sneer. What could he say? Though it was immature of him, he couldn't help but vaguely listen to them. It was high school after all. Even if he wasn't liked much by others, he still kept tabs on them.

The next person he saw was shocking. He would've thought he would've noticed her above all else, especially considering how often Nisroc pointed her out to him.

Shaunee was huddled next to the same blonde girl Rephaim often saw her with. Actually, now that he thought about it, he rarely saw them alone or separately. His brother had told him that she had a best friend and they were insanely close, often calling each other "Twin." Unfortunately, her best friend was one of the girls that Rephaim saw a few times talking about others around him.

All of them stared at them, their eyes flitting from him to Stevie Rae, and back again. It made him feel uncomfortable, but he knew it was necessary. He hadn't exactly been expecting a warm welcome, nor did he deserve one.

Eyes skimming the crowd, there was one person that stood out against the rest. One face that was twisted into something dark and furious. One face that glared at him like he stole something invaluable that belonged to him.

_So_, he thought. _This must be Stevie Rae's boyfriend_. Rephaim shook his head dismissively. _I'm not impressed_.

"We need to head to the Nurses' Office if we plan on bettering our chances on Zoey surviving."

_Zoey surviving? _Rephaim thought, his attention being snagged by the student teacher's words. _Something is wrong with her?_

It took him a moment to realize what he said. As much as Rephaim despised getting shot by this man, he knew that he couldn't keep silent. Especially when Stevie Rae's best friend was in danger. He decided to push it behind him.

"Can't. We set the Nurses' Office on fire," he said clearly, meeting Darius' gaze.

He could see in his eyes a small ounce of regret and an apology. Rephaim knew that this was the only way he could apologize. Their world was different now, and there was barely anytime to say anything before a new threat was on them.

"Why the hells would you set it on fire?" a black girl snapped abruptly, causing the little girl beside her to jump unexpectedly. For a moment, he was surprised by the small child. She certainly didn't go to their school and she was much too old to be a teacher's child enrolled in their high school's daycare. She looked about six or seven.

"You really shouldn't be so loud," she told her. Her small hands tugged gently on the bright yellow shirt. She was cute for a child. Rephaim wasn't really comfortable around children and tend to avoid them, but he found himself wanting to talk to her. Something about her light green eyes and brown hair welcomed him.

Rephaim shrugged, wincing at the pain and ignoring the vicious glare Stevie Rae's boyfriend was still giving him. "We were swarmed and had no other option. Believe me, it there had been another way, I would've offered it."

"It was your idea?" he heard Zoey murmur to her best friend. Her voice sounded strained and faint. He knew she was having difficulties staying concious; he had found her head injury and noticed the amount of blood on Stark's shirt.

Stevie Rae chuckled nervously, holding Zoey out at arm's length. "Uh, yeah. I was sorta thinkin' on my feet." She glanced down, hiding her face with her curls. "Had I known y'all were comin' back, I wouldn't've done so."

"What were you doing back at the Nurses' Office anyway? I thought you managed to escape through the window." Stark tilted his head curiosly.

"It's kinda a long story. One Darius can help explain later." Stevie Rae turned to the said person, lifting her eyebrows daringly.

Rephaim flinched, knowing it was slightly his fault that she was irritated with him. He didn't know how he knew, but he could feel her obvious aggitation at him being the one who shot him. It struck him as strange that she was so defensive after only being with him for a day and a half.

"Why would Darius - _oh_," the blonde beside the student teacher said. She must've understood what Stevie Rae had been hinting at.

"Nevermind that. For now we must worry about the problem at hand." Darius took a few steps towards him and Stevie Rae, his eyes looking them up and down. "Or problems, I should say." He turned. craning his neck to look at the smoking building. "Since the Nurses' Office is still obviously aflame, it is clear that we can't go back there for supplies. Stevie Rae, do you still have the ones you managed to obtain the first time you were there?"

"Sorry to break it to ya, but no. I accidentally left my bag inside and forgot to grab it while I was gettin' out." He could hear the self-loathing in her voice.

"Shit," Stark mumbled. He ran his hand anxiously through is hair in frustration. "How the hell are we suppose to help Z now?"

An idea surfaced in his groggy mind. He had that First Aid kit in his car, but what that help with Zoey's head injury? Was there even a needle and thread in there to begin with?

_I might as well tell them. This could be the closest thing we have that could help her_.

"I have a First Aid kit in my car. I know it isn't much, but I can go get it."

**_Stevie Rae_**

_What the hell are ya doing? Quit starin' at him! Dallas is starting to notice! Just focus on Zoey. Focus on Z_.

"I have a First Aid kit in my car," Rephaim spoke up,"I know it isn't much, but I can go get it."

Stevie Rae glanced up at him in surprise. She hadn't been expecting him to offer them his help. It wasn't because she thought that was the kind of person he was at all. He was definitely the complete opposite. He had willingly jumped into a burning room and patiently guided and coaxed her out of the fire. It was just that she thought he wouldn't even bother considering how so many of her friends thought awfully of him because of the things they've heard. She could help the little burst of gratitude and appreciation.

"Are you serious?" Aphrodite perked up. "Well, go! Go get it!"

He turned to go, but before he could, Stevie Rae automatically reached out to him. Her hand lightly brushed against his shoulder, causing him to pause and turn to her.

"Do you need help getting there?" she suggested, concerned. Stevie Rae could feel the angry eyes of Dallas on her back, but she didn't care. It wasn't like she was going to follow him and make out with him in his car.

_'Cause we already did that_, she thought sourly.

His eyebrows lifted slightly at her odd attempt. Just as he shook his head, she could've sworn she saw the corners of his mouth twitch up into a small smile. Without a word, he turned back and started after his black car that hid in the sea of vehicles.

After a few moments, Stevie Rae started to hear shuffling behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Stark helping Zoey up the stairs of the bus. Aphrodite was in front of them, holding out her hand. It was then that she actually got a good look at the gash in Z's head. Her blood was matted into her hair, making it clumpy, along with some bits of rock and gravel. Stevie Rae also noticed how she had one hand pressed to her side, tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes. What else happened to her?

"Everyone needs to get onto the bus," Darius spoke up, canceling off her thoughts. "After the noise we have been causing, the undead are well aware of our presence. I'm afraid some of them have already discovered us."

All of their heads turned towards the school and instantly saw a few of them stumbling over discarded items. A slight shiver ran up her spine at the sight of their grotesque appearance. They were definitely heading towards them. They were close enough to be heard, but far enough away to be able to get inside the bus without having to worry about getting tackled and eaten.

"That doesn't look good, Twin," Erin said with a disgusted shake of her head.

"No, it certainly doesn't. Let's go, Twin." Shaunee grabbed the railing of the bus, hoisting herself up and inside. It was the smallest, but Stevie Rae noticed Shaunee threw a worried glance over at Rephaim as he carefully made his way over to his car. Erin didn't seem to have seen it, though. Something thankful and sweet rejoiced inside her as she caught sight of it.

"I agree," Damien muttered with a shudder. He took the little girl's hand in his and helped her up the steps. "Their existence is just truly depressing."

"Don't even start that vocab shit, Damien. Now is so not the time," Erin threw back over her shoulder.

That only made him pause and tilt his head. "That isn't even a difficult word."

They climbed the stairs and disappeared into the back of the bus, arguing quietly to themselves. Through the tinted windows, Stevie Rae could make out Zoey, Stark, and Aphrodite sitting in the seats. Darius was standing at the top of the stairs, but wasn't waiting for them. He was more concerned with Zoey's condition.

With a sigh, Stevie Rae leaned against the side of the bus, watching Rephaim at his car. There was no way she was going to get on the bus with him still outside. That was just rude after he saved her from the fire and helped her with her back and shoulders. Plus, she certainly didn't just get almost burned to a crispy hamburger or get eaten by zombies for nothing.

A sudden burst of laughter made her jump and let out a sudden squeak. Clutching her chest to calm the rapid beating of her frantic heart, Stevie Rae turned, and saw that Kramisha and Dallas were standing outside of the bus as well. Dallas was staring at her with a storm of expressions raging on his face. Kramisha was the one chuckling, her eyes flickering from Stevie Rae to - surprisingly - Rephaim.

"What the heck is so funny?" Stevie Rae snapped, annoyed that she was so jumpy all of a sudden.

"It just that you and him," she used her head to indicate that she was referring to Rephaim,"are completely opposite of each other. You can't shut up sometimes, and he can barely make a peep. But, ya know what they say," Kramisha said with a smirk,"opposites attract."

Her muscles froze. She was so immensely shocked by her words that she couldn't even deny it. Not that she wanted to or had a reason to. She would be lying if she claimed that she wasn't drawn to him. There was something about him that made her want to find out more and get to know him. It might've been the kiss, but she knew nothing could happen. Stevie Rae cared about Dallas, and she was dating him anyway. Not Rephaim.

"What! She's my girl and no one else's. And I'll make sure it stays that way," Dallas exclaimed, huffing furiously. He headed to the stairs, pushing past Kramisha with a glare. Before he placed his foot on the first step, he kissed her almost passionately.

To Stevie Rae, it was nothing. Just another rough touch of his lips to her own. She didn't feel anything, and her head didn't spin with excitement. The only thing she felt was fear and worry about what he had said and what it meant for Rephaim.

* * *

**YESYESYESYESYES! I am so happy! And incredibly pumped! I finished it! And I'm proud of my masterpiece! Hope you all feel the same! Please review and tell me what ya think! :)**

**-RSR**


	12. Chapter 12

**Wow! I am impressed with myself. I managed to do this whole chapter today! I had to start over on it 'cause I didn't like where it was going at first. It sounded better in my head. Stupid head. :P Anyway, here's chapter 12! It's been long and waited for! Also, I have a decent surprise in here:)**

**ALSO! JUST REACHED OVER 1,000 views! YAY! **

**Special Thanks To:**

**StephaimFan4ever - Thank you so much for those kind words! I agree, but I will not be to haste as to getting them together:) It has to be PERFECT.**

**Juliana Rose**

**SmilesSaveLives**

**Girl Of Night**

**and**

**NataONE**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the HON series!**

**Songs:**

_**Rephaim**_**: Nothing Left to Say by Imagine Dragons**

_**Shaunee**_**: My Fault by Imagine Dragons**

_**Stevie Rae**_**: Every Night by Imagine Dragons**

***I'm going through a phase... Don't judge me. c:**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

_**Rephaim**_

He squeezed his eyes closed and gritted his teeth as another wave of pain crashed over him. His heartbeat was too loud in his ears and he could feel each pulse throughout his body. His muscles were screaming obnoxiously from all the movement and stress he'd put on himself the past day and a half. He was lacking sleep, suffering from injuries, and getting weaker by the passing moment from dehydration and starvation.

Rephaim was used to having to feed four teenage boys - not including himself - on a regular basis so he was always having to buy food and make meals. Of course, he's had the help of his brothers to prepare breakfast, lunch on the weekends, and dinner. He was used to eating every meal every day - with sides and everything - and without them, he felt disturbingly empty. It wasn't normal for him to usually skip out on them, especially if his brothers had anything to say about it.

Not that they could now. After all, they were the ones who left him.

Something wet and cold pressed against the sewn-shut hole in his chest. Bowing his head, a painful hiss was torn from his teeth. His whole body tensed as the cloth pressed against his main injury. The back was the worst, but he had yet to make it that far. The student teacher seemed to be taking his time with him after attending Zoey's head and Stevie Rae's burns.

"I truly am sorry."

Rephaim looked up in shock. He hadn't really expected him to apologize. It was a logical thing of him to do to begin with. Had Rephaim been in his place, he knew he would've done the same thing had he been rushing to meet his brothers someplace. Which he had, but they obviously hadn't been there.

"You don't need to apologize. You were just keeping you and those you care about safe," Rephaim told him just as quietly, and sternly. There was no sign of him replying so he kept quiet, hoping his words would help ease some of his guilt. Besides, he wasn't exactly in the mood for much talking either. He was too wrapped up in the pain of being treated and the simmering annoyance at something he didn't feel like admitting - not even to himself.

Rephaim closed his eyes again, this time to try and suppress the same image that was picking at him. It was more agitating than it was unsettling. It was probably because he knew he couldn't help it and he had no right to even _want_ to do anything about it.

"Ya know," a familiar voice spoke up, "squintin' your eyes and tensin' like that isn't gonna help any."

"No, but it isn't like I'm getting a shot. So whether I do or not doesn't really matter," he said without opening his eyes. He didn't want to look at her at the moment.

"You're right, but it does make you look silly." As she spoke, Rephaim could hear her sit down in the seat across the bus aisle from him. He could feel her eyes on him, watching his every move. It was patronizing, and he wanted to squirm awkwardly under her gaze.

Finally, he forced himself to look up and meet her eyes. "Silly or not, it doesn't change the fact that I'm in pain. I think I deserve to make as many silly faces as I wish."

For some reason mysterious to him, this caused her to laugh. It wasn't a light chuckle, or a load guffaw; it was a sweet, small erupt of girly giggles. It was nice to hear, something about it helped lighten the burning agony in his chest. Her face seemed to lighten, too, giving her a serene expression.

"What is so funny?" he asked her, caught between wanting to be defensive and trying not to join her in her contagious laughter.

"You," Stevie Rae said bubbly. "Even when you're hurt, you still manage to remain stubborn!"

Rephaim frowned. He didn't find himself stubborn. He liked to think of it as determined, but now that she said it, it reminded him how Nisroc would often call him hard-headed. The thought made him wince, which was easily covered up by a new wave of pain as he noticed Darius had moved to his back. Suppressing a groan, he squeezed his eyes once more, taking in shaky breaths. Who knew getting shot would be so agonizing?

_I need to quit thinking about them_, he thought passed the discomfort. _They were the ones who left me. I need to move on from them_.

What he didn't realize was that he was doing the complete opposite, even if subconsciously. Somewhere deep in his mind, he grieved for the thought of his brothers probably being devoured by the walking corpses and being turned into monsters themselves. He also refused to believe that they just up and left him like they did.

Against his will, a single, harmless comment bubbled up from inside him.

_There had to be a reason_.

**_Shaunee_**

She didn't know what to say. Hell, what could she say? She hadn't expected to find Stevie Rae alive. She also hadn't expected her to die, either. She knew Stevie Rae was a strong girl, even if she could be naïve sometimes. She was happy to see one of her good friends alive still, especially in their situation. They needed all the people they could get - just like Zoey had said to Stark.

But that wasn't what rendered her speechless.

No, it was who Stevie Rae had shown up with. It was who Stevie Rae had saved, and who saved her in turn. It was who Darius had shot and was fixing up. It was who was receiving and shrugging off Dallas's jealous glares.

Worse, it was who _he_ was related to.

Memories baffled her. Ones that she was trying desperately to push aside, but she was weak. None of them had gotten any sleep since it started. Well, except for Kramisha and Tina - who was sticking ridiculously close to the black girl.

How could they anyway? Adrenaline had been running high in their systems and potential threats surrounded them, waiting around every corner. They had to worry about Zoey not dying from blood loss, or a concussion. They'd been trying to process the probability of ever seeing Stevie Rae alive again. And they were still trying to bandage up the ones who got injured.

But none of that seemed to help prevent the memories. In fact, it made it seem so that it was almost like a sweet getaway from the horror that was now their reality.

Shaunee could remember the calm afternoons spent laying in the grass of his backyard, talking about anything and everything. The feeling of warm arms and a wool blanket around her were all too real to be considered just a memory. His adorable, short texts replayed in her mind. His captivating voice and alluring gaze never left her.

It was hard to speak when all of this occupied her attention. What could she say anyway? What were they even talking about? Shaunee had totally zoned out and blocked everyone from her, cutting off any communication at the moment. She was even - purposefully - ignoring Erin, her twin. The one who was suppose to be her soul sister and BFF.

_Suppose to be? No, Erin _is_ my best friend. I just need some space, that's all. Sure she'll understand_.

Shaunee continued to stare out of the window, fixated on the zombie students and teachers bumping into cars and setting off car alarms. She could feel her twin's - along with everyone else's on the bus - eyes on her. They might have asked a group question and noticed that she hadn't answered, or something. Not that it mattered. It was probably along the lines of how they were going to sleep tonight, or that day. Something like that, for sure. But she didn't care - not at that moment.

Sighing, she let her eyes close. Not because she was tired, but because of the dull ache in her chest. It hurt tremendously. She thought it would have lessened since she found her group of friends, and let him in, but it didn't. It helped some, to distract her, but it never took it away. The pain had always been there, waiting for the perfect time to take her down. Only two people knew what the cause was: her and him.

He was the only person she told, the only person she trusted enough to tell, and now he was nowhere to be seen.

And _that_ hurt worse than the aching pain in her chest.

Reluctantly, Shaunee opened her eyes, and looked around. She hadn't noticed that they had started moving. Everyone was sitting now, quietly murmuring amongst themselves. Erin was obviously a little hurt since she was turned away from her and not meeting her gaze. But Shaunee didn't care. At the moment, she was worried about something else - some_one_ else. She had something to do, and she had to do it now or never.

Standing, Shaunee scanned the rows behind her, searching for him - the new addition to their group - his older brother. Rephaim. He was sitting with Stevie Rae, which was somewhat weird considering she had a very jealous boyfriend on her hands. They were talking kinda privately, too.

But that didn't matter, either. Nothing did - only he did. And she was determined to find out where he was, even if she had to interrupt people to do it.

She only had one thought on her mind and that was him.

_Nisroc_.

_**Stevie Rae**_

"So what are we doing now?"

That one question. That one single innocent question was what hit them all. For Stevie Rae, it slammed into her as a huge wake-up call, as if she was now understanding what was really going on. Her breath left her quietly, and she was frozen. Her muscles locked tightly, her eyes were caught by Rephaim's. He looked unsure of himself, but shocked nonetheless by this simple question.

Everyone eventually turned to look at Tina - the little girl Zoey, Stark, and Dallas had saved. She was the owner of the question, and even she looked a little lost after asking it. Stevie Rae wondered if anyone truly understood what had happened when it happened - if they knew that there was no going back now.

That was what did it. The realization of never being able to turn back and embrace their old lives. That was the reason for the eerie silence and delayed answers.

It utterly scared her to death.

"We should find a place to sleep first," Darius spoke up, taking the authority everyone was too afraid to claim. "Somewhere safe, and with food. It would help if it this place was also stocked with weapons already."

"Like a police station?" Damien offered.

"Yes, like a police station."

There were some murmurs and the sound of shuffled feet. It was obvious everyone was taking this proposal into consideration. After all, who wouldn't? They've been through hell and it just started. They were starving, thirsty, exhausted, and wounded. Rest would be the best at the moment. Darius was right; they should worry about their true intentions later after they've solved their more than slightly minor problems.

"I don't think a police station would be a good idea," Stark inputted. It was obvious that he would love to disagree, but he might have a point that was causing him to think otherwise. "Don't you think that the police would've taken their weapons with them? No doubt that more than half of town has already contacted them. Plus, our cops wouldn't hesitate to whip out their guns and then some even if it was something as simple as a gas station robbery. I'm just saying that maybe we would be giving our hopes up if we tried a police department, and I'm sure no one wants to deal with that sort of disappointment right now."

Aphrodite scoffed, "You're just upset because you would feel like a lost damn puppy. All you know is how to shot a damn arrow while handsome here knows how to work any gun you can give him."

"Stark's got a point," Dallas added. "Ya know damn well how gun-happy our sheriffs are. They probably took every dang weapon they could carry with them."

Stevie Rae flinched at how monotone his voice sounded. No doubt it was because of how she'd been talking to Rephaim and not him. She did feel a little guilty, but Rephaim was the one who had gotten shot and saved her from the fire. Not Dallas. She knew it wasn't really fair to compare them, but at the moment she was too tired to care.

"Then what are we gonna do?" Zoey asked in frustration.

Stevie Rae blinked, her gaze shifting to her tired, bloody BFF. She was slouched over on her side with her head in Stark's lap, some gauze wrapped messily around her head. She looked worn out and ready to fall into oblivion. Stevie Rae couldn't blame her. After all she'd heard, she was amazed that she was able to keep her eyes open let alone stay awake and talk.

Z sighed, her eyes moving to glance at her. Just one look at that was all it took. The wheels in her head were already turning, but a reassuring glance was what she needed. It was what she needed to help her speak up and give her opinion. Of course, that didn't mean they would accept it.

"We can find somewhere else to stay. It doesn't necessarily have to have weapons, but it does need food. That's all we need really: food and a place to sleep. The weapons we can make do with whatever we find," Stevie Rae said kinda hesitantly.

She wasn't really that into stressing about the subject. They could easily park on an abandoned street and sleep on the bus, but it was the matter of not having food to wake up to that bothered her. Her stomach felt like its own acids were trying to dissolve itself in order to get food.

"Well," Darius sighed, plopping down into the driver's seat. "I guess that is as good as we are going to get. Any suggestions as to what might be the suitable place?"

"How about a hotel?" Aphrodite perked up. "There are tons of rooms and I doubt all of them have guests that were infected."

"Aphrodite has a point. Stark, help me up. I can't even take myself seriously when I'm laying down." Zoey lifted her arms and gave him a serious face. The same serious face that clearly said I'm-not-bullshitting-you-so-do-what-I-say. One that her and Stevie Rae had perfected in their years of middle school for this reason exactly - to be taken serious by boys.

With a exasperated sigh, Stark placed his hands under her arms and slowly moved her into a sitting up position. "I definitely like that plan, Aphrodite. Plus, we can group together and share rooms, that way none of us will risk getting separated again. Also, there're those little fridges in each room that are stocked full with snacks. There's a bathroom, too. Of course, we'll have to inspect the rooms before we settle in them. But, before anything is official, we'll need everyone's opinion."

Stevie Rae couldn't help a guilty chuckle at Z's mentioning of anyone getting separated. It hadn't been intentional, and everyone knew that, but she was still glad it happened. She had saved Rephaim from either dying painfully or becoming a zombie. The idea of those possibilities almost becoming a reality was enough to cause her to shudder.

One by one, everyone took their time to voice their say. Even Tina - a small eight-year-old - agreed with the idea almost wholeheartedly. Some of the responses were sighs of relief, others were hesitant agreements. Dallas had only muttered a few words with a short nod of his head before collapsing into a seat near the back. Damien was the only one who was capable of grumbling a coherent sentence.

"Twin, what do you think?" Erin asked, turning to look at her mocha-colored friend only to find that her gaze was somewhere else. "Twin? Are you listening?"

Stevie Rae glanced at the said girl, a knot of concern tightening in her stomach. Her eyes looked so...lost. Broken almost, which only worried her more. She was used to seeing the pair bright, gossipy, and alive. Completely opposite of what was sitting in front of her now.

The rest of the bus shot a small look over to Shaunee, quickly scanning her for any signs of abnormality. She was probably acting strange due to everything that's happened. It was something Stevie Rae was expecting, but not from her.

"Alright, I guess that's it then," Zoey announced. "We should get going. It's almost noon. We'll want to find a secure place before it gets dark."

It didn't take long for them to all crash into a bus seat. Stevie Rae walked to the back with Dallas after helping Rephaim into his own seat near the middle. As she sat down, she watched the rest of their friends pair together with their closest buddies, seeking needed comfort. Shaunee and Erin stayed in their spot behind the driver's seat with Aphrodite in the one next to them with Damien, though Stevie Rae knew neither of them were particular close.

Damien was missing his friend, his boyfriend. Jack Twist. He had stayed home yesterday when it all happened, said he had a sinus infection. No one has heard from him since the cell phone towers and electricity has been out. Stevie Rae sure didn't see him at the school, and no one mentioned seeing him outside of campus either. In the back of her mind, Stevie Rae vaguely wondered if it was really a sinus infection Jack had come down with instead of the disease that was killing everyone and reviving them into flesh-eating corpses.

The possibilities were endless now, and the idea frightened her.

Once everyone was seated, Stevie Rae let her gaze slide over to Rephaim. His shoulders were slumped and his head was leaning against the cool glass of the window. From where she was sitting, she couldn't tell if he was sleeping or not. He could be, but she knew he would be too much in pain to even think about it.

After all, he did suffer some minor burns from saving her from the burning Nurses' Office on top of his current injuries. She thought back to the harsh bullet wound, his semi-sprained ankle, his arm, and the dark bruises and tiny cuts that covered the rest of his body. If he was still awake, that in itself would be a miracle. She was just surprised he lasted this long and helped her so much. It was truly amazing.

_He is truly amazing_, her mind whispered.

This time Stevie Rae just accepted it as a fact because it was one. She's never seen anyone else do as much as he did and still be conscious. Hell, she never seen anyone even try to do as much as he did in such a short time period.

Vaguely, Stevie Rae briefly wondered if Rephaim was some kind of superhero, but immediately dismissed the thought.

* * *

**Ah, there. It's up. Yes, yes, I added Shaunee's POV:) And what is this? Nisroc, hmm? Interesting, no? I'm also thinking about putting someone else's POV in here, too. Yeah, no Z in this chapter, but she can get over herself. She's fine. So not a lot of interesting stuff besides the Shaunee thingy. Tell me what you think because this literally took me from 7:30 this morning to about 9:20 at night. I really want to hear what you have to say, so PLEASE leave a review. Thank you:)**

**-RSR**


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